Praises of John the Baptizer

Praises of John the Baptizer

MEMORIAL OF A MARTYR
Safro

INTRODUCTION

DOXOLOGY

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as we begin and until we conclude.
May mercy and compassion be poured forth upon us
in this world and the next.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever.
Amen.
OPENING PRAYER
O God,
may the prayer we offer you on the memorial of your martyrs
be an acceptable sacrifice which increases our eagerness
to persevere in our total devotion to your service.
May we be worthy to obtain their just reward,
and we will give you glory,
now and for ever. Amen.
GREETING
Peace be with the Church and her children.
PRAISE OF THE ANGELS
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace on earth and good will to all.
Praise the Lord all you nations,
glorify him all you peoples,
for steadfast is his mercy toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
and peace on earth and good will to all.

PSALMODY
FIRST PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
O God,
you have given your servants the courage to witness and
the strength to confess you;
for in imitating their Lord and Master, they have endured
all sorts of torture.
In all our actions may we witness to your commandments
and teachings,
by keeping them and putting them into practice,
so that if you call us to the supreme witness of martyrdom
we may be ready.
We will glorify you,
now and for ever. Amen.
PSALM OF THE DAY
Antiphon: Some are strong in chariots; some in horses;
but we are strong in the name of the Lord, our God.
Psalm 20
The Lord answer you in time of distress;
the name of the God of Jacob defend you!

May he send you help from the sanctuary,
from Zion may he sustain you.

May he remember all your offerings
and graciously accept your holocaust.

May he grant you what is in your heart
and fulfill your every plan.

May we shout for joy at your victory
and raise the standards in the name of our God.

The Lord grant all your requests!

Now I know that the Lord has given victory to his anointed,
that he has answered him from his holy heaven
with the strength of his victorious right hand.

Some are strong in chariots; some, in horses;
but we are strong in the name of the Lord, our God.

Though they bow down and fall,
yet we stand erect and firm.

O Lord, grant victory to the king,
and answer us when we call upon you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

Antiphon: Some are strong in chariots; some in horses;
but we are strong in the name of the Lord, our God.

SECOND PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Glory to you Christ,
Light of truth and Sun of Justice!
You give victory to those who fight for you and crown
your loved ones.
Accept the blood of the martyrs shed for you in
sacrifices and holocausts.
May it bestow light on the persecuted,
give guidance to the straying,
mercy to sinners and perseverance to believers,
and your Church will give you glory,
now and for ever. Amen.
NUHRO (HYMN OF LIGHT)
The Light of the just and joy of the upright in Christ Jesus,
our Lord.
Begotten of the Father, he manifested Himself to us.
He came to rescue us from darkness and to fill us with the
radiance of his light.

Day is dawning upon us; the power of darkness is fading away.
From the true Light there arises from us the light which illumines our darkened eyes.
His glory shines upon the world and enlightens the very depths of the abyss.
Death is annihilated, night has vanished, and the gates of Sheol are broken.
Creatures lying in darkness from ancient times are clothed in
light.
The dead arise from the dust and sing because they have a Savior.
He brings salvation and grants us life.
He ascends to his Father on high.
He will return in glorious splendor and shed his light on those gazing upon him.
Our King comes in majestic glory,
Let us light our lamps and go forth to meet him.
Let us find our joy in him, for he has found joy in us.
He will indeed rejoice us with his marvelous light.
Let us glorify the majesty of the Son and give thanks to
the almighty Father, who,
in an outpouring of love, sent him to us, to fill us with
hope and salvation.
When he manifests himself, the saints awaiting him in
weariness and sorrow,
will go forth to meet him with lighted lamps.
The angels and guardians of heaven will rejoice in the
glory of the just and upright people of the earth;
together, crowned with victory, they will sing hymns and psalms.
Stand up then and be ready!
Give thanks to our King and Savior, who will come in great
glory to gladden us with his marvelous light in his kingdom.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
[HYMN]
Either the Hymn, “The Return of Christ” (page 169) or the
Hymn, “Christ the Light” (page 169) may be sung after the
Nuhro.

THIRD PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Lord,
hear our prayers on the day of the memorial of your
martyr, Saint John.
Through his intercession, give us the strength to
witness to you.
and the courage to confess your name at this time and all
throughout our lives,
and we will praise you,
now and for ever. Amen.
MORNING PSALMS
Psalm 148
Alleluia.
Praise the Lord from the heavens,
praise him in the heights;
Praise him, all you his angels,
praise him, all you his hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he commanded and they were created;
He established them forever and ever;
he gave them a duty which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea monsters and all depths;
Fire and hail, snow and mist,
storm winds that fulfill his word;
You mountains and all you hills,
you fruit trees and all you cedars;

You wild beasts and all tame animals,
you creeping things and you winged fowl.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys,
Praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven,
and he has lifted up the horn of his people.
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia.
Psalm 149:1-6
Alleluia.
Sing to the Lord a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.
Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
Alleluia.

Psalm 150
Alleluia.
Praise the Lord in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the Lord!
Alleluia.
Psalm 117
Praise the Lord, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
For steadfast is his mercy toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.

HOOSOYO
PROEMION
Praise, glory and honor to the One who called the martyrs
to witness to him
and gathered his Church to honor them;
for him the soldiers struggled and the martyrs gave witness.
To the Good One is due glory and honor
this morning,
and all the days of our lives,
now and for ever. Amen.
SEDRO
O God,
we remember today your heroic martyrs who spread
the good news of the gospel to the ends of the earth;
they appeared before kings and judges and scorned
threats and torture.
By the strength of faith, they have held out against the
enemy and underwent persecution,
saying whatever the Spirit inspired in their defense.
We also proclaim:
Blessed are you, O martyrs, singular pearl in the crown
of the Church,
a shining glory in its history.
On this morning the Church will prepare you crowns of glory.
Blessed are you, for your ship crossed the sea of the
troubled world,
exposed itself to winds and storms,
endured the agonies and perils of death,
and then has anchored in the port of calm and peace.
Today, as we celebrate your memory with joy,
being constantly exposed to the danger of shipwreck
in the sea of this world,
we ask you to accompany us with your prayers on the
difficult way.
Then like you, we shall reach the port of salvation
and share in the eternal joy of God’s kingdom,
glorifying and praising him,
for ever. Amen.

QOLO
Holy are you, O God, for you the martyrs underwent all tortures and endured persecution.
Holy are you, O Strong One, you breathed strength and courage
into your martyrs in the arena of martyrdom, and fearlessly
they braved death.
Holy are you, O Immortal One, through you the martyrs found
life in their deaths.
Lord, by the intercession of your martyrs, grant your believing servants a good end which will allow them to praise you, for ever.
ETRO
O God,
receive the fragrance of our incense
which we offer you on the day of the memorial of your
martyr Saint John.
Grant us to witness through our actions
and give us the strength to struggle in our lives,
that we may be worthy to share in the heavenly joy of your
martyrs and holy ones, for ever. Amen.
MAZMOORO
The martyrs offered their lives in sacrifice, joining themselves to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Some boast about their chariots, and others about their horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord, our God.
O God, you accepted the prayers of our forefathers, in your
mercy accept our worship and be attentive to our prayers.
SCRIPTURE READING
A Reading from the First Book of Kings
1 Kings 19: 9-21
There he came to a cave, where he took shelter. But the word of the LORD came to him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” He answered: “I have been most zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts, but the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.” Then the LORD said, “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by.” A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD — but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake — but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was fire — but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?” He replied, “I have been most zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. But the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.” “Go, take the road back to the desert near Damascus,” the LORD said to him. “When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king of Aram. Then you shall anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of Israel, and Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, as prophet to succeed you. If anyone escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill him. If he escapes the sword if Jehu, Elisha will kill him. Yet I will leave seven thousand men in Israel — all those who have not knelt to Baal or kissed him.” Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him. Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please, let me kiss my father and mother good-bye, and I will follow you.” “Go back!” Elijah answered. “Have I done anything to you?” Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh, and gave it to his people to eat. Then he left and followed Elijah as his attendant.

HOOTOMO
GREAT DOXOLOGY
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and joy-filled hope to all.
We praise you, we adore you, we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord and Creator, King of heaven, God the Father almighty,
Lord God, only Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son and Word of the Father,
you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us;
you take away the sin of the world, hear us and receive
our prayer.
You are seated in glory at the right hand of your Father,
for give us and have mercy on us;
For you alone are holy,
you alone are the Lord, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
At all times, and all the days of our lives, we worship
you and praise your holy and blessed name,
which is and has been from age to age.
Blessed are you, Lord almighty, God of our fathers.
May your name be glorified, praised and exalted for ever.
To you be glory, praise and exaltation, God of all,
Father of truth, with the only Son and the living and Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
Amen.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
O God,
you are before all ages and exist from age to age;
you are resplendent and glorified in unsearchable light;
through your word, you bring forth light and give us a new
day.
O radiant Day and source of light,
we glorify you, adore you and offer you praise night and day;
accept our praise and answer our prayer.
Send us your abundant blessings, through the mercy of your
Christ.
To him, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be glory, honor and power,
now and forever. Amen.