Birth of Saint John the Baptist

Book of Isaiah

Hear me, O islands, listen, O distant peoples. The Lord called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, Yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, That Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

Psalms

O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother's womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
when I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.

Acts of the Apostles

In those days, Paul said: “God raised up David as king; of him God testified, I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish.
From this man's descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'"
"My brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent".

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called John."
But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name."
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be?" For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

St. María Guadalupe García Zavala(Religious (1878-1963))

Saint María Guadalupe García Zavala Religious (1878-1963) María Guadalupe García Zavala was born on April 27, 1878, in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. Her parents were Fortino García and Refugio Zavala de García.As a child, María was known for her piety. She made frequent visits to the Basilica of Our Lady of Zapopan, which was located next to the religious goods shop run by her father. Her love for God was particularly demonstrated in her love for the poor. With uncommon transparency and simplicity, María treated everyone with equal love and respect. Although she planned to marry Gustavo Arreola, she suddenly broke off their engagement when she was 23. The reason is María "understood" that Jesus was calling her to love him with an undivided heart as part of the religious life.She saw that she was called to do this by giving assistance to the poor and sick. When María confided to her spiritual director, Fr. Cipriano Iñiguez, her "sudden change of heart," he told her that for some time he had been inspired to found a religious congregation that would assist the poor and hospitalized. He invited María to join him in this foundation. The new Congregation, which officially began on October 13, 1901, was known as the "Handmaids of St. Margaret Mary (Alacoque) and the Poor.""Poor with the poor" María worked as a nurse, giving assistance to the first patients that were welcomed into "their" hospital. Regardless of the patients' poverty, caring for their physical and spiritual well-being was the primary concern. With a single, undivided heart, María carried out this task of love. Sr. María was named superior general of the quickly-growing Congregation. Her example taught the Sisters the importance of living a genuine and joyful exterior and interior poverty. She was convinced that it was only through living and sanctifying poverty that one could be truly "poor with the poor." Indeed, Mother María was known for her simplicity, humility, and docility to the Holy Spirit.Risking life to help those hiding From 1911 until 1936, the political, religious situation in Mexico became uneasy and the Catholic Church was persecuted. Mother María put her own life at risk to help priests and the archbishop of Guadalajara "go into hiding" in the hospital. Rather than limit her charity, she gave food to persecutors who lived nearby. It was not long before they advocated for the Sisters. The last two years of Mother María's life were lived in extreme suffering because of a grave illness. On June 24, 1963, she passed away at the age of 85.During her lifetime, eleven foundations were established in the Republic of Mexico.Today, the Congregation has 22 foundations and is present in five different countries: Mexico, Peru, Iceland, Greece and Italy. After Mother María's passing, patients at her hospitals received healings inexplicable to medical science. They were cured after asking for Mother María's intercession. St. María was canonized on May 12, 2013, by Pope Francis.

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2024 / Catholic Missal of june 2024