The Birth of John the Baptist








♰الْمَجْدُ للهِ! ♰Praise be to God always!♰ܬܶܫܒܽܘܚܬܳܐ ܠܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ! ♰



Entrance Hymn

John, the Newborn Child, Has Come

Syriac: msheeho natareh l’eedtokh

or msheeho natareh l’eedtokh (Abdallah)

John, the newborn child, has come
as a voice for God Most High.
O Judean hills, rejoice!
Aaron’s daughter gave him birth.
Exult, for this news has spread
throughout the Church, bringing hope and joy.
Zechariah’s tongue was loosed,
and with thanks, he then proclaimed:
“O John, child of God,
as a prophet you are born.
You will go prepare the way before the Lord,
who will come to save the world.”

Opening Prayers

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

Jesus Christ our Lord, you filled the hills of Judea with joy at the wondrous birth of John. Fill us also with joy as we celebrate his birth. May we hear your voice, proclaim the good news of your coming, and do your will. We cry out with Zechariah, “Blessed be the Lord God,” now and forever.

Prayer of Forgiveness (Husoyo)

Proemion

Let us raise glory, honor, and praise to the Son, the Eternal Word and Radiance of the Father, who, before he took flesh and became man, sent John to prepare his way. To the Good One be glory and honor, on this feast, and all the days of our lives, and forever. Amen.

Sedro

Today we sing praise to you, O John, Messenger, Forerunner, and Baptizer, saying:
You are the child whose birth was announced by an angel sent by God.
You are the voice crying out in the wilderness, and the prophet to whom the mystery of the Lord was revealed while still in your mother’s womb.
You are the covenant linking the two covenants, for you brought the old covenant to an end and began the new.
You are great among the children of women, and you came to tell us of the Most High.
You are a sign of God’s mercy and an apostle of the King of Peace.
You are the star who guides us to the true Light coming into the world, and you give light to churches, monasteries and convents
Now, O Prophet of the Most High, we ask you, with the fragrance of this incense, to obtain the miraculous grace of Christ for us, so that our souls may be adorned with good works as we witness to the true faith. With Zechariah, your father, and Elizabeth, your mother, we glorify the Father who sent you, we worship the Son whom you longed to see while you were still in the womb, and we give thanks to the Spirit who sanctified you before you were born. To the most Holy Trinity be glory and thanks, forever. Amen.

Hymn (Qolo)

Zechariah’s House Resounds

Syriac: hasyo oo-qadeesho

Alleluia!
Zechariah’s house resounds with thanks and glory.
For his barren wife gave birth in joy and gladness.
Zechariah, who was mute,
sings this day and praises God.
Alleluia!
John, O child, you will become God’s mighty prophet,
who will guide all peoples to the Lord and Savior
and make straight the way to him,
calling them to turn from sin.

Etro

Lord Jesus, extend your holy right hand upon your faithful people and bless your flock. Accept this incense that we have offered to you on this feast of the birth of John, the forerunner. Make us worthy to praise and glorify you with spiritual hymns, and to give thanks to you, to your Father, and to your Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Qadishat Aloho (Trisagion)

ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ. ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ ܚܰܝܶܠܬܳܢܳܐ. ܩܰܕܺܝܫܰܬ ܠܳܐ ܡܳܝܽܘܬܳܐ. ܐܶܬܪܰܚܰܡ ܥܠܰܝܢ.
Qadishat Aloho. Qadishat Hayeltono. Qadishat lo moyuto. EtraHam 3alayn.
You are holy, O God. You are holy, O Strong One. You are holy, O Imortal One. Have mercy on us.
قُدُوسٌ أَنْتَ يا الله، قُدُوسٌ أَنْتَ يا قَوِي، قُدُوسٌ أَنْتَ يا مَنْ لا يَموتْ، إِرْحَمْنا

Holy and immortal Lord, sanctify our minds and purify our consciences, that we may praise you with purity and listen to your Holy Scriptures. To you be glory forever. Amen.

Psalm of the Readings

Syriac: ramremain

To the priest Zechariah
Gabriel brought news of joy.
Now his words find fulfillment
on this day when John is born.
In the desert a voice cries:
“Come, prepare the way for God!”
Now these words find fulfillment
on this day when John is born.
Zechariah rejoices
with his wife, “the barren one,”
and the Church sings God’s praises
on this day when John is born.

Epistle

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians. Your blessing, Father.

Glory to the Lord of Paul and the apostles! May the mercy of God descend upon the reader and the listeners and upon this parish and her children forever. Amen.

Brothers and Sisters:
Tell me, you who desire to be subject to the law, will you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and the other by a free woman. One, the child of the slave, was born according to the flesh; the other, the child of the free woman, was born through the promise. Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One woman, in fact, is Hagar, from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the other woman corresponds to the Jerusalem above; she is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, “Rejoice, you childless one, you who bear no children, burst into song and shout, you who endure no birth pangs; for the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than the children of the one who is married.” Now you, my friends, are children of the promise, like Isaac. But just as at that time the child who was born according to the flesh persecuted the child who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. But what does the scripture say? “Drive out the slave and her child; for the child of the slave will not share the inheritance with the child of the free woman.” So then, friends, we are children, not of the slave but of the free woman. For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
(Galatians 4:21-5:1)

Praise be to God always!

Gospel

Alleluia! Alleluia!
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.”
(Luke 1:76)
Alleluia!

Before the proclamation of the Gospel of our Savior, announcing life for our souls, we offer this incense and ask for your mercy, O Lord.

Peace be with you.

And with your spirit.

From the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke, who proclaimed life to the world.
Let us listen to the proclalation of life and salvation for our souls.

Remain silent, O listeners, for the Holy Gospel is about to be proclaimed to you.
Listen and give glory and thanks to the Word of the living God.

The Evangelist wrote:
Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, “No; he is to be called John.” They said to her, “None of your relatives has this name.” Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And all of them were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. All who heard them pondered them and said, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.
(Luke 1:57-66)

This is the truth! Peace be with you!

Praise and blessings to Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, for giving us his words of life.