1Thus says the Lord: Comfort, comfort my people, says God. Priests, speak to the heart of Jerusalem. Comfort her, because her humiliation has been completed; for her has sin has been abolished, because she has received from the Lord’s hand double for her sins. A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God. Every valley will be filled and every mountain and hill made low; what is crooked will become straight, and the rough ways will be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Go up onto a high mountain, you who bring good tidings to Sion; lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good tidings to Jerusalem. Lift it up, do not be afraid. I the Lord God, I, the God of Israel, will hearken and will not forsake them; but I will open rivers from the mountains and springs in the middle of plains. I will turn the wilderness into water meadows and the thirsty earth with water courses. Let the heavens rejoice from on high and let the clouds rain justice. Let the earth sprout and blossom with mercy and justice. Announce a voice of gladness to the end of the earth and let this be heard: Say that the Lord has delivered his servant Jacob. And if they thirst through deserts, he will bring water for them from a rock. Rejoice you barren who have never given birth, break out and shout, you who have never known birth pangs, for the children of the deserted are more than those of her who has a husband.
Composite 9 - Malachi 3, 4 (Vespers)
1Thus says the Lord Almighty: See, I am sending my Angel, my messenger, before your face, who will prepare your way before you. And the Lord whom you seek will come to his temple. And who will endure the day of his entrance? And who will withstand at his appearing? Because he will enter like fire in a smelting furnace and like the lye of launderers. And he will come to you in judgement; and he will be a swift witness against the wicked and against adulteresses and against those swear falsely in his name and those who do not fear him, says the Lord Almighty. Because I am the Lord your God, and I have not changed and you, children of Jacob, have perverted the laws and not kept them. Therefore turn back to me and I will turn back to you, says the Lord Almighty. And all the nations will call you blessed and you will know that I am the Lord who discern between just and lawless on the day on which I make a peculiar possession of those who love me. Know then and remember the law of Moses my servant, as I gave him commandment on Horeb, to all Israel ordinances and judgements. And see, I will send you Elias the Thesbite, before the great and manifest day of the Lord comes; he will turn again the heart of father to son and of a man to his neighbour, lest when I come I smite the earth grievously, says the Lord Almighty, God the Holy One of Israel.
Composite 3 - Wisdom of Solomon 4, 5 (Vespers)
1A just man if he comes to his end will be at rest. A just man who dies will condemn the ungodly who are alive; for they will see the end of a just man and will not understand what they counselled concerning him. For the Lord will break the ungodly, render them voiceless and cast them headlong, and he will shake them from the foundations and they will be utterly worsted in sorrow, and their memory shall perish. They shall come with fear at the accounting of their sins, and their iniquities will convict them to their face. Then the just will stand with much boldness in the face of those who afflicted him and made his toils of no account. When they see this they will be troubled with great fear and will be amazed at the wonder of his salvation. For they will say as they repent and with anguish they will groan and say: Is this he whom we fools once made a laughing stock and a byword of reproach? We reckoned his life folly and his end dishonour. How has he been numbered among the children of God and his lot with the Saints? Therefore we have erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousness has not shone on us and the sun has not dawned on us. We have been filled with paths of lawlessness and destruction and journeyed through trackless paths, but have not known the way of the Lord.
Matthew 14.1-13
(Matins Gospel)
1At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus,
2and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptizer. He is risen from the dead. That is why these powers work in him.”
3For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife.
4For John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
5When he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
6But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced among them and pleased Herod.
7Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she should ask.
8She, being prompted by her mother, said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptizer.”
9The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given,
10and he sent and beheaded John in the prison.
11His head was brought on a platter and given to the young lady; and she brought it to her mother.
12His disciples came, took the body, and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
13Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.
Galatians 1.1-10, 20-2.5 (Epistle)
1Paul, an apostle—not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—
2and all the brothers who are with me, to the assemblies of Galatia:
3Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
4who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father—
5to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
6I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”,
7but there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.
8But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.
9As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.
10For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.
20Now about the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I’m not lying.
21Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
22I was still unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea which were in Christ,
23but they only heard, “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.”
24So they glorified God in me.
1Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.
2I went up by revelation, and I laid before them the Good News which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.
3But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.
4This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage,
5to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you.
Acts 13.25-33
(Epistle, Forerunner)
25As John was fulfilling his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, one comes after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’
26“Brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you.
27For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they didn’t know him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.
28Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.
29When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.
30But God raised him from the dead,
31and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people.
32We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers,
33that God has fulfilled this to us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your father.’
Mark 5.1-20 (Gospel)
1They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
2When he had come out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit met him out of the tombs.
3He lived in the tombs. Nobody could bind him any more, not even with chains,
4because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the fetters broken in pieces. Nobody had the strength to tame him.
5Always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones.
6When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and bowed down to him,
7and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, don’t torment me.”
8For he said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
9He asked him, “What is your name?” He said to him, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”
10He begged him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
11Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding.
12All the demons begged him, saying, “Send us into the pigs, that we may enter into them.”
13At once Jesus gave them permission. The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and they were drowned in the sea.
14Those who fed the pigs fled, and told it in the city and in the country. The people came to see what it was that had happened.
15They came to Jesus, and saw him who had been possessed by demons sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, even him who had the legion; and they were afraid.
16Those who saw it declared to them what happened to him who was possessed by demons, and about the pigs.
17They began to beg him to depart from their region.
18As he was entering into the boat, he who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him.
19He didn’t allow him, but said to him, “Go to your house, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you and how he had mercy on you.”
20He went his way, and began to proclaim in Decapolis how Jesus had done great things for him, and everyone marveled.
Mark 6.14-30
(Gospel, Forerunner)
14King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, “John the Baptizer has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”
15But others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, or like one of the prophets.”
16But Herod, when he heard this, said, “This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen from the dead.”
17For Herod himself had sent out and arrested John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for he had married her.
18For John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
19Herodias set herself against him and desired to kill him, but she couldn’t,
20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly.
21Then a convenient day came when Herod on his birthday made a supper for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.
22When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.”
23He swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”
24She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” She said, “The head of John the Baptizer.”
25She came in immediately with haste to the king and requested, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter.”
26The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths and of his dinner guests, he didn’t wish to refuse her.
27Immediately the king sent out a soldier of his guard and commanded to bring John’s head; and he went and beheaded him in the prison,
28and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the young lady; and the young lady gave it to her mother.
29When his disciples heard this, they came and took up his corpse and laid it in a tomb.
30The apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and they told him all things, whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught.
Commemorations
The Beheading of the Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John
The story is told in the Gospels, and cannot be told better here. Today is kept as a strict fast day, on whatever day of the week it falls. Because the holy Forerunner’s head was brought to Herod on a platter, it is a pious custom not to eat anything from a plate or platter today.
Our Holy Mother Theodora of Salonica (879)
“A wealthy and devout woman, she lived on the island of Aegina, but, when the Arabs over-ran the island, she moved to Salonica. There, she gave her only daughter to a monastery, where she received the monastic name Theopista. Her husband Theodorinus died very soon, and then Theodora became a nun. She was a great ascetic. She often heard angelic singing, and would say to her sisters: ‘Don’t you hear how wonderfully the angels are singing in heavenly light?’ She entered into rest in 879, and a healing myrrh flowed from her body, which gave healing to many.