Call to Worship

While making the sign of the cross:

God, come to our assistance.
Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory to the Father and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia!

Hymn

Phos Hilaron, “O Radiant Light” (1)

O radiant light, 
O Sun divine

of God the Father’s deathless face,

O image of the light sublime,

That fills the heav’nly dwelling place.

O Son of God,
the source of life,

Praise is your due by night and day,

Our happy lips must raise the strain

of your esteemed and splendid name.

Lord, Jesus Christ
as daylight fades,

as shines the light of eventide,

We praise the Father with the Son,

the Spirit blest, and with them one.other of God.

PSALMODY

Psalm 141:1-9

Ant. O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

Lord, I am calling: hasten to help me.
Listen to me as I cry to you.
Let my prayer rise before you like incense,
my hands like an evening offering.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

Lord, set a guard at my mouth,
keep watch at the gate of my lips.
Let my heart not turn to things that are wrong,
to sharing the evil deeds done by the sinful.
No, I will never taste their delights.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

The good may reprove me,
In kindness chastise me,
but the wicked shall never anoint my head.
Every day, I counter their malice with prayer.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

To you, Lord my God, my eyes are turned:
In you I take refuge; do not forsake me.
Keep me safe from the traps they have set for me,
from the snares of those who do evil.

O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering.

Praise to the Father, praise to the Son,
all praise to the life giving Spirit.
As it was, is now, and shall always be
for ages unending. Amen.

Ant. O Lord, let my prayer rise before you like
incense, my hands like an evening offering. (2)

Psalm Prayer

Lord,
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
your name is worthy of all praise.
Let our prayer come like incense before you.
May the lifting up of our hands
be as an evening sacrifice
acceptable to you,
Lord, our God.

Psalm 116

Ant. He sent an executioner to behead John, who was in prison.

I trusted even when I said:
“I am sorely afflicted,”
and when I said in my alarm:
“No one can be trusted.”

How can I repay the Lord
for the goodness shown to me?
The cup of salvation I will raise;
I will call on the Lord’s name.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfill
before all the people.
O precious in the eyes of the Lord
is the death of the faithful.

Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;
you have loosened my bonds.
A thanksgiving sacrifice I make:
I will call on the Lord’s name.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfill
before all the people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.

Glory to Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning,
is now and will be forever. Amen

Ant. He sent an executioner to behead John, who was in prison.

Canticle
Revelation 4:11; 5:9, 10, 12

Ant. The disciples of John came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

O Lord our God, you are worthy
to receive glory and honor and power.

For you have created all things;
by your will they came to be and were made.

Worthy are you, O Lord,
to receive the scroll and break open its seals.

For you were slain;
and with your blood you purchased for God

those of every race and tongue,
of every people and nation.

You made them a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches,
wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and praise.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now and will be forever. Amen.

Ant. The disciples of John came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Reading

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles
(Acts 13:23-25)

According to the promise, God has brought forth from David’s descendants Jesus, a savior for Israel. John heralded the coming of Jesus by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. As John’s career was coming to an end, he would say, “What you suppose me to be I am not. Rather, look for the one who comes after me. I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals on his feet.”

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Take a few moments to reflect on the reading.

Responsory

The friend of the bridegroom rejoices upon hearing the bridegroom’s voice.
The friend of the bridegroom rejoices upon hearing the bridegroom’s voice.
Now my joy is complete
upon hearing the bridegroom’s voice.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
The friend of the bridegroom rejoices upon hearing the bridegroom’s voice.

Gospel Canticle
Canticle of Mary

The Magnificat
Luke 1:46-55
Holy is His Name (3)

Ant. I am not the Christ; I have been sent before him to prepare his way. He must increase, and I must decrease.

While making the sign of the cross:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit exalts in God, my Savior.
For he has looked with mercy on my lowliness,
and my name will be forever exalted.
For the mighty God has done great things for me,
and his mercy will reach from age to age.

And holy, holy,
holy is his name.

He has mercy in ev’ry generation.
He has revealed his power and his glory.
He has cast down the mighty in their arrogance,
and has lifted up the meek and the lowly.
He has come to help his servant Israel;
he remembers his promise to our ancestors.

And holy, holy,
holy is his name.

And holy, holy,
holy is his name.

Ant. I am not the Christ; I have been sent before him to prepare his way. He must increase, and I must decrease.

Intercessions

Let us pray joyfully to God our Father, who called John the Baptist to proclaim the coming of the kingdom of Christ:
O God, hear us; hear our prayer.

You called John the Baptist from his mother’s womb to prepare the way of your Son. Help us to follow in that path which the Baptist opened before the Lord Jesus.
O God, hear us; hear our prayer.

May your Church, in imitation of the Baptist, fearlessly point out the Lamb of God, so that people in every age may acknowledge that the Lord comes to them.
O God, hear us; hear our prayer.

John the Baptist did not exalt himself but acknowledged his role as forerunner of the Christ.
Teach us to acknowledge that you are the giver of all our good gifts and that we must use them in your service.
O God, hear us; hear our prayer.

You called John the Baptist to give testimony to you by his life and even by his death. Help us to imitate his unceasing witness to your truth.
O God, hear us; hear our prayer.

For the sick who have asked us to accompany them with our prayers, that they may experience your merciful and healing touch today.

Please pray aloud the names of those who are sick or in need of healing.

O God, hear us; hear our prayer.

Remember those who have died: give them a place of light, happiness and peace.
O God, hear us; hear our prayer. (4)

The Lord’s Prayer

And now let us pray with confidence as Christ our Lord asked:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.

Closing Prayer

God our Father,
you called John the Baptist
to be the herald of your Son’s birth and death.
As he gave his life
in witness to truth and justice,
so may we strive to
profess our faith in your gospel.
Grant this through our
Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Blessing

While making the sign of the cross:

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and
bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
Pray for us.
Saint John the Baptist,
Pray for us.
Sant’Angelo,
Pray for us.

Hail Mary (5)

Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women,
and blest is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of death.

Let us spend this evening in peace.
Thanks be to God.

Credits and Permissions
All text and music are in the public domain
or used with permission:
OneLicense A-726188. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise stated, all music
is published by OCP or a division of OCP.
Julian Pardo produces all audio.
Michael Aguilar, Jr. produces all videos.

1. Text: LM; Phos Hilaron, Greek, ca. 200; tr. by William G. Storey, 1923-2014, copyright 1970.
   Music; JESU DULCIS MEMORIA; Chant, mode I; arr. by Randall DeBruyn, born 1947, copyright 2010.
   Vocals: Matthew Gummess, O.Carm., Ryan Resureccion, O.Carm., and Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm.

2. Text: Based on Psalm 141:1-5,8-9, Doxology; Paul Inwood, b. 1947.
   Music: Paul Inwood; Text and Music copyright, 1984-1985.
   Vocals: The Carmelites.
   Bells: Julian Pardo.

3. Lyrics: Based on Luke 1:46-55; John Michael Talbot, b. 1954.
   Music: John Michael Talbot, arr. by Phil Perkins, b. 1948, and Rock Modlin, b. 1966.
   Text and music copyrights: 1980,1995, Birdwing Music/BMG Songs. Administered by EMI CMG Publishing.
   Vocals: Nick Ritacco
   Additional Vocal Harmony: Steven Begert-Clark.
   Piano: Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm.

4. Text and Music: Response from: “O, God Hear Us.” Bob Hurd, b. 1950; Copyright: 1984, Bob Hurd.
   Vocals: The Carmelites.

5. Text and Music: written by Carey Landry, arranged by Martha Lesinski, copyrights 1975, 1978.
   Vocals: Anna May Rudolph.