June 24
Color: Red
The COLLECT
O Christ our Lord, who sentest forth Thy great and noble servant John the Baptizer to prepare Thy way before Thee; allow us to be heralds of Thy glorious coming into our hearts and of Thy redemption of this world from the rule of the archons. Pour out by our hands, we pray, the purifying flood of Thy great Jordan of living water, so that all things may become pure and acceptable in Thy sight. Amen.
The LESSON
The Lesson is taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah:
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a high way for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever. Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arms shall rule for Him: Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work is before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
The GOSPEL
The Gospel is taken from the Mandæan Book of John:
A child was planted out of the height, a mystery revealed in Jerusalem. The priests saw dreams; chill seized on their children, chill seized on Jerusalem. Early in the morning a seer went to the temple, and spake: In my vision of the night I beheld that a star appeared and stood over Elizabeth. Fire burned in Zachariah, the old father. A star flew down into Judaea, a star fell down into Jerusalem. And Elizar said to Zachariah: If John receives Jordan, then will I be his servant of purity. We will ascend with him to the Light’s region. And Zachariah said to all the priests: If the child comes out of the most lofty height, what then will you do after that here in Jerusalem? And the heavenly messengers took the child out of the heavenly Jordan and placed him in the womb of Elizabeth.