August 29 - Prayer on the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist

O witness to the Truth, to the Light that has come among us, you gave your very life and death for the sake of Christ, who redeemed us in His blood, blood you shed with your Savior; you who were a pillar of iron against the whole land and against its king, you who stood so strong against the lust of the world, suffering its persecution so willingly, fortified even in death by the Lord and His promise – how can our meager lives measure up to your blessed sacrifice; how can we who are so weak of knee endure our exile so bravely? Pray for us, O forerunner of the Christ both in word and in the giving of your life, that our blood may be joined to your own and so to that of our holy Lord.