• St. John of the Cross

• First Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11

  1: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
  
  2: to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;
  
  10: I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
  
  11: For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

• Psalm: Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54

  46: And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,
  
  47: and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
  
  48: for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
  
  49: for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
  
  50: And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation.
  
  53: he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.
  
  54: He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy.

• Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

  16: Rejoice always,
  
  17: pray constantly,
  
  18: give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
  
  19: Do not quench the Spirit,
  
  20: do not despise prophesying,
  
  21: but test everything; hold fast what is good,
  
  22: abstain from every form of evil.
  
  23: May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  
  24: He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
  

• Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28

  6: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
  
  7: He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.
  
  8: He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
  
  19: And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"
  
  20: He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."
  
  21: And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" And he answered, "No."
  
  22: They said to him then, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
  
  23: He said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, `Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."
  
  24: Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.
  
  25: They asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?"
  
  26: John answered them, "I baptize with water; but among you stands one whom you do not know,
  
  27: even he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie."
  
  28: This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

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