Prayer on the Synaxis of St. John the Baptist

Jan 7

Thou who didst baptize Christ, preacher of repentance, despise not us that repent: but, together with the host of Heaven, pray to the Master for us unworthy ones, in our despondency, weakness and sorrow: for we have

fallen into many troubles, weighed down by the stormy thoughts of our minds.

For we are become a den of evil works, having no end to our sinful habits: our mind is nailed to worldly things.

What we shall do, we know not, and nor to whom we shall flee, that our souls might be saved, save unto thee, holy John, who art named for Grace, whom we know to be greater than any, but the Theotokos, that are born before the Lord:

for thou was found worthy to touch the head of Christ the King, Who taketh away the sins of the world, the Lamb of God:

to Whom pray thou for our sinful souls, that at least from henceforth in the eleventh hour, we may bear the good burden and receive our reward among the last.

Yea, O thou who didst baptize Christ, thou revered Forerunner and last of the Prophets, first of the Martyrs according to Grace, mentor of fasters and those who fled to the desert, teacher of purity and close friend of Christ, we pray thee, we flee to thee for refuge:

cast us not away from thy protection, but rather raise us up who are fallen in many sins:

renew our spirit through repentance, as it were by a second baptism, washing away sin, and preaching penitence unto the cleansing of the ill deeds of each:

wash us, indeed, who are stained with sins, and cause us to enter that place where nothing impure hath entry, into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Amen.

From a Book of Canons, Kiev, 1762. Reprinted in "Polny Sbornik Molitv", p. 72