O Saint John the Baptist, greatest prophet among those born of woman, although you were sanctified in your mother’s womb and did lead a most innocent life, nevertheless it was your will to retire into the wilderness, there to devote yourself to the practice of austerity and penance, obtain for me from your Lord the grace to be wholly detached, at least in my heart, from earthly goods, and to practice Christian mortification with interior recollection and with the spirit of holy prayer.
O Most Zealous Apostle, who, without working any miracle on others, but solely by the example of your life of penance and the power of your word, did draw after you the multitudes, in order to dispose them to receive the Messiah worthily and to listen to his heavenly doctrine, grant that it may be given unto me, by means of your example of a holy life and the exercise of every good work, to bring many souls to God, but above all to those souls that are enveloped in the darkness of error and ignorance and are led astray by vice.
O Martyr Invincible, who, for the honour of God and the salvation of souls, did with firmness and constancy withstand the impiety of Herod even at the cost of your own life, and did rebuke him openly for his wicked and dissolute life, by your prayers obtain for me a heart, brave and generous, in order that I may overcome all human respect and openly profess my faith in loyal obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Pray for me, Saint John the Baptist, that I may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Amen
*****
O God, you raised up St. John the Baptist to prepare a perfect people for Christ. Fill Your people with the joy of possessing His grace, and direct the minds of all faithful in the way of peace and salvation.
Grant that St. John, who was martyred for truth and justice, so that we may energetically profess our Faith in You, and lead others to the Way, the Truth, and Eternal Life.
Amen.
Catholicism Pure & Simple 
Reblogged this on Zero Lift-Off and commented:
God bless CP&S for all of the consistent work you do in bringing light and truth to the urgent matter of the Catholic Faith and Mother Church in Jesus’ holy name! This is a most beautiful offering and for me it was absolutely a Godsend; because as you noticed I’m sure the focus of much of my writing as of late, it’s been only sincere genuine truth from my heart on matters of crucial importance that I know were inspired for the most part by the Holy Spirit speaking to me while those dots or intersections were falling into place.
This most beautiful prayer is so timely and needed not just for me but I believe anyone who actually cares with all of their heart about what is happening to our world and lives, moving into what to me is the darkest of times ahead for mankind with the massive evil that has infiltrated all aspects of society and is rotting it out from the core; even in our beloved church; hierarchy it’s so apparent.
This one sentence says precisely what I’ve been seeing and experiencing lately; “withstand the impiety of Herod even at the cost of your own life, and did rebuke him openly for his wicked and dissolute life, by your prayers obtain for me a heart, brave and generous, in order that I may overcome all human respect and openly profess my faith in loyal obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ.” I too have dealt with corrupted powers and principalities on my own; to seek justice and truth!
I would have gotten along superbly with St. John the Baptist if I were living in his time on earth, but I hope now with this prayer, which somehow I had forgotten and didn’t think of, yet needless to say; it’s ideal right now! Through it I can perhaps have some connection to him, St. John, and be good faithful spiritual brothers! Amen.
God bless you.
Brother in Christ Jesus,
Lawrence Morra
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