Gospel of 24 June 2018

Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, solemnity

Book of Isaiah 49,1-6.
Hear me, O islands, hear carefully, distant nations; the Lord from the womb called me, even from my mother's womb he pronounced my name.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword, he hid me in the shadow of his hand, he made me pointed arrow, he put me back in his quiver.
He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, on whom I will manifest my glory."
I replied: “In vain I struggled, for nothing and in vain I have used up my strength. But, of course, my right is with the Lord, my reward with my God ”.
Now the Lord said that he molded me his servant from the womb to bring back Jacob and him to reunite Israel, - since I had been esteemed by the Lord and God had been my strength -
he said to me: “It is too little that you are my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel. But I will make you light of the nations to bring my salvation to the end of the earth. "

Salmi 139(138),1-3.13-14ab.14c-15.
Lord, you scrutinize me and you know me,
you know when I sit and when I get up.
Penetrate my thoughts from afar,
you look at me when I walk and when I rest.
All my ways are known to you.

You are the one who created my bowels
and you woven me into my mother's breast.
I praise you, because you made me like a prodigy;
wonderful are your works,

You know me all the way.
My bones weren't hidden from you
when I was trained in secret,
woven into the depths of the earth.

Acts of the Apostles 13,22-26.
In those days, Paul said: «God raised up for Israel as king David, to whom he testified:“ I have found David, son of Jesse, a man according to my heart; he will fulfill all my wishes.
From his lineage, according to the promise, God brought a savior, Jesus, to Israel.
John had prepared his coming by preaching a baptism of penance to all the people of Israel.
John said at the end of his mission: I am not what you think I am! Behold, after me comes one, to whom I am not worthy to untie sandals. "
Brothers, children of Abraham's race, and how many of you are God-fearing, this word of salvation has been sent to us.

From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke 1,57-66.80.
For Elizabeth the time of childbirth was fulfilled and she gave birth to a son.
Neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had exalted her mercy in her, and rejoiced with her.
On the eighth day they came to circumcise the boy and they wanted to call him by the name of his father, Zechariah.
But his mother said: "No, his name will be Giovanni."
They said to her, "There is no one in your family named after this name."
Then they nodded to his father what he wanted his name to be.
He asked for a tablet, and wrote: "John is his name." Everyone was amazed.
In that same instant his mouth opened and his tongue loosened, and he spoke blessing God.
All their neighbors were filled with fear, and all these things were discussed throughout the mountainous region of Judea.
Those who heard them kept them in their hearts: "What will this child be?" they said to each other. Truly the hand of the Lord was with him.
The boy grew and strengthened in the spirit. He lived in deserted regions until the day of his demonstration in Israel.