BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.3.6//EN TZID:America/Winnipeg X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Winnipeg BEGIN:VEVENT UID:500@liturgy.royaldoors.net DTSTART;TZID=America/Winnipeg;VALUE=DATE:20260624 DTEND;TZID=America/Winnipeg;VALUE=DATE:20260625 DTSTAMP:20260622T145658Z URL:https://liturgy.royaldoors.net/events/wednesday-june-24-2026-the-nativ ity-of-the-honourable-and-glorious-prophet-john-forerunner-and-baptist-of- christ/ SUMMARY:Wednesday\, June 24\, 2026\; The Nativity of the Honourable and Gl orious Prophet John\, Forerunner and Baptist of Christ DESCRIPTION:All-Night Vigil Feast. Apostle’s Fast. Abstention from meat a nd foods that contain these ingredients\n\nGREAT VESPERS\n\nKathisma Readi ng\n\n“Blessed is the man…” is sung.\n\nAt Psalm 140\n\nTone 4\n\nOu t of the depths I cry to You\, O Lord\;* O Lord\, hear my voice!\n\nWhen J ohn was born\, the silence of Zechariah was broken.* For when the Voice ap peared\, it was not proper that his father remain silent.* Just as disbeli ef bound the tongue of the father\,* so now the appearance of John frees h im.* Having revealed himself\, he preaches good tidings to all.* The Forer unner of Light and the Voice of the Word is born\,* and he prays for the s alvation of our souls.\n\nLet Your ears be attentive* to the voice of my p rayer.\n\nWhen John was born\, the silence of Zechariah was broken.* For w hen the Voice appeared\, it was not proper that his father remain silent.* Just as disbelief bound the tongue of the father\,* so now the appearance of John frees him.* Having revealed himself\, he preaches good tidings to all.* The Forerunner of Light and the Voice of the Word is born\,* and he prays for the salvation of our souls.\n\nIf You mark iniquities\, Lord\, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.\n\nTo day the Voice of the Word frees his father’s voice* which was lost throu gh disbelief\,* and he reveals the blessed posterity of the Church* by loo sing his mother’s bond of barrenness.* The Lamp preceding the Light appe ars\;* the star proclaims the coming of the Sun of Justice* who is the res toration of all* and the salvation of our souls.\n\nI have waited for You as You have commanded\; my soul patiently relies on Your promise\,* for it has trusted in the Lord.\n\nWhen the time approached for the Word of God to be born from a Virgin\,* a messenger came forth from a barren womb.* He is the greatest born of woman* and the greatest of the prophets.* Behold\ , the beginnings of God’s actions are beyond our understanding.* You wer e begotten eternally and conceived without seed\;* you work wonders for ou r salvation. Glory to you!\n\nFrom the morning watch until night* let Isra el trust in the Lord.\n\nToday the great Forerunner appears\,* born from t he barren womb of Elizabeth.* He is a prophet greater than all prophets\;* there is no other like him\, nor has there ever been.* For the most wondr ous Light followed the lamp of the Forerunner\;* the Word followed the Voi ce\,* and the Bridegroom followed the bridegroom’s friend.* He prepares a special people for the Lord\,* cleansing them with water until the comin g of the Spirit.* He is the offspring of Zechariah and the noble dweller o f the desert\,* the preacher of repentance\, and the purification of sins. * He announced the good news* of the Resurrection from the dead to those i n Hades\,* and he prays for our souls.\n\nFor with the Lord there is mercy \, and with Him there is plentiful redemption\;* and He shall redeem Israe l from all its iniquities.\n\nO John\, the Baptizer of Christ\,* you manif ested yourself to be a prophet and forerunner* from the time you were in t he womb.* When you saw the queen coming to her servant\,* you leaped for j oy in the womb of your mother\,* you\, the one conceived of a barren woman \,* according to the promise made to the elder Zechariah.* You knew she wa s bearing the eternal One* who was from the Father without a mother.* Now implore God to have mercy on our souls.\n\nPraise the Lord\, all the natio ns\;* proclaim His glory\, all you people.\n\nZechariah did not believe th e word of the angel* who told that Elizabeth would conceive and bear a son .* Instead he replied: How can she give birth\,* for we are both advanced in years.* He was made silent by your decree because of his disbelief.* To day he sees the promised birth\,* and his silence is ended to give way to joy.* O\, what a glorious marvel!* He shouts aloud: Blessed is the Lord\, the God of Israel\,* for He has turned to his people and brought them salv ation.* He grants great mercy to the world.\n\nStrong is the love of the L ord for us\;* eternally will His truth endure.\n\nO most praiseworthy John and universal apostle\,* good news of Gabriel and flower of the barren wo man\,* noble child of the desert\,* true friend of the bridegroom Christ\, * pray to Him to have mercy on our souls.\n\nTone 6\, Glory…\n\nToday\, like a shining star\,* the Lamp prepares the way for the coming of the Wor d of God.* Today Zechariah speaks clearly\, ending the silence imposed by the angel\,* for it was not right that the father of the Voice be kept sil ent* once John was born from a barren womb.* He comes to announce with gre at boldness* the good news of salvation for all the world.\n\nNow…\n\nEl izabeth carried the Forerunner of grace\,* and the Virgin carried the Lord of glory.* When the mothers greeted each other\, the infant leaped for jo y\,* for even within the womb\, the servant praised the Master.* The mothe r of the Forerunner was amazed and sang out:* How have I deserved that the mother of my Lord has come to me?* Glory to Him who with great mercy save s a despairing people.\n\nReadings\n\n(1) Genesis 17:15-19\; 18:11-14\; 21 :1-8\; (2) Judges 13:2-19\; (3) Isaiah 40:1-3\, 9\; 41:17-18\n\nLitya\n\nT one 1\n\nO mountains\, give forth your sweetness\; * O hills\, skip about like lambs\;* for today the Lord’s forerunner\, desiring to abide with us\, is born of Elizabeth.* At his birth he loosed his father’s silence. * Therefore\, let us cry out to him:* O Baptizer of Christ\, implore Him t o save our souls.\n\nThe God-named Voice and Lamp of the Light\, the Forer unner of the Lord\,* was attested to by Christ as the foremost of the prop hets.* Please remember your flock in order to preserve it intact\,* and we also ask that you pray for the world.\n\nO prophet and forerunner John\,* you were the preacher of the Lamb who is the Word of God.* You prophesied the future\;* you spoke beforehand to the ends of the earth:* Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world* and grants great mercy t o all.\n\nTone 5\, Glory…\n\nToday Elizabeth rejoices as she gives birth * to the end of the prophets and the beginning of the apostles\,* the eart hly angel and the heavenly man\,* the voice of the Word\, the soldier and forerunner of Christ\,* who leaped for joy beforehand because of the Promi sed One* and who preached before the birth of the Sun of Justice.* In his old age Zechariah is amazed\,* having cast aside the muteness imposed as a punishment.* As the father of the Voice\, he prophesies most splendidly:* And you\, O child\, shall be called the prophet of the Most High\,* and y ou shall go before Him to prepare the way.* Therefore\, O angel\, prophet\ , apostle\, and soldier\,* forerunner\, baptizer\, preacher of penance\, a nd guide\,* as the voice of the light of the Word\,* pray unceasingly for us who faithfully keep your memory.\n\nNow…\n\nO most pure Virgin \,* yo u are the temple\, the gate\, the palace\, and the throne of the King.* Ch rist\, our Redeemer and Lord\,* appeared through you to those who slumbere d in darkness.* For He\, as the Sun of Righteousness\,* wished to enlighte n those whom He created with his own hands* according to his own image.* T herefore\, O Lady\, whom we always praise in song\,* we beseech you to int ercede with Christ for the salvation of our souls\;* for\, as his mother\, you can approach Him with the greatest of confidence.\n\nAposticha\n\nTon e 2\n\nWith psalms and hymns and spiritual songs* let us praise the glorio us desert-dweller John\,* since he is the prophet of prophets* and the fru it of a barren womb\,* greater than all born of women.* Let us cry out to him:* O Baptist and Forerunner of the Saviour\,* by your holy birth you ma y implore Christ with confidence* to grant peace to the world* and great m ercy to our souls.\n\nBlessed be the Lord\, the God of Israel\, because He has visited and ransomed his people.\n\nAccording to the promise\,* John the Forerunner and the Voice of the grace of the Word has appeared.* He wa s born today of the childless\, barren woman.* Rejoice\, O people\,* for h e has come to prepare for us the way of the Saviour* to whom he bowed down and leaped for joy* while still in the womb of his mother.* He is the Lam b who takes away the sins of the world* and grants great mercy to us.\n\nA nd you\, O child\, shall be called prophet of the Most High.\n\nJohn\, who was sanctified in the womb of his mother* and received the fullness of pr ophecy\,* is born today from a barren woman.* Clearly he announces the com ing of the Lord:* Repent\, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.\n\nTone 8 \, Glory…\n\nToday the voice of the prophet Isaiah is fulfilled* in the birth of the greatest of the prophets\, John.* He had said: Behold\, I wil l prepare the way of the Lord.* He will be a soldier of the kingdom of hea ven\,* running before the path of our God.* By nature he was a man\,* yet in the present life he became an angel\,* for he welcomed moderation in co mplete purity.* He had a human nature but fled what was according to natur e* and struggled beyond the natural.* Therefore\, let all the faithful imi tate his virtues* and beg him to pray for the salvation of our souls.\n\nN ow…\n\nElizabeth said to the Virgin Mary:* How is it that the Mother of my God has come to me?* You bear the King\, and I\, a soldier.* You bear t he Lawgiver\, and I\, a preacher of the law.* You bear the Word\, and I\, the voice who announces the kingdom of heaven.\n\nTroparia\n\nTone 4\n\nO Prophet and Forerunner of the coming of Christ\,* in spite of our honour a nd devotion\,* we are unable to give you worthy praise.* Through your glor ious and noble birth* your mother’s childlessness was ended\,* your fath er's tongue was freed\,* and the Incarnation of the Son of God** was procl aimed to the world. (2)\n\nTone 1\n\nHail\, Mother of God\, Virgin Mary fu ll of grace!* The Lord is with you.* Blessed are you among women\,* and bl essed is the fruit of your womb.* For you have borne Christ\, the Saviour* and Deliverer of our souls.\n\nDIVINE LITURGY\n\nTroparia and Kontakia\n\ nTroparion\, Tone 4: O Prophet and forerunner of the coming of Christ\,* w e\, who lovingly honour you are at a loss to praise you worthily\;* for yo ur mother’s barrenness and your father’s silence* were both ended by y our honoured and glorious birth\,* and the incarnation of the Son of God* is preached to the whole world.\n\nGlory be to the Father and to the Son a nd to the Holy Spirit\, now and for ever and ever. Amen.\n\nKontakion\, To ne 3: She who once was barren gives birth today to the Forerunner of Chris t\,* who will fulfil every prophecy.* In the Jordan he placed his hand upo n the One Whom the prophets foretold* and thus was shown to be the prophet \, the herald\,* and the Forerunner of the Word of God.\n\nProkeimenon\, T one 7\n\nThe just man shall be glad in the Lord and shall hope in Him.\n\n verse: Hear\, O God\, my voice when I make my petition to You. (Psalm 63:1 1\,2)\n\nEpistle\n\nRomans 13:11b-14:4\n\nAlleluia\, Tone 1\n\nverse: Bles sed be the Lord God of Israel\, for He has visited His people and redeemed them.\n\nverse: And you\, O child\, will be called the prophet of the Mos t High. (Luke 1:68\,72)\n\nGospel\n\nLuke 1:1-15\, 57-68\, 76\, 80\n\nHymn to the Mother of God\n\nO my soul\, magnify the precious birth of Christ ’s Baptist and forerunner\, John.\n\nWords cannot express the hidden\, d ivine\, ineffable mystery* that is clearly fulfilled in you\, Virgin immac ulate\,* for because of His loving mercy God became flesh of you.* And\, t herefore\, as Mother of God\, we magnify you.\n\nCommunion Hymn\n\nThe jus t man shall be in everlasting remembrance\;* of evil hearsay he shall have no fear.* Alleluia\, alleluia\,* alleluia. (Psalm 111:6) END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Winnipeg X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Winnipeg BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR