JANUARY 9 2026

Leader: O Lord, open my lips. All: And my mouth shall declare your praise.
Christ has appeared to us; come, let us adore him.

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the mountains:
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord
who made heaven and earth.

May he never allow you to stumble!
Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,
Israel's guard.

The Lord is your guard and your shade;
at your right side he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you
nor the moon in the night.

The Lord will guard you from evil,
he will guard you soul.
The Lord will guard your going and coming
both now and for ever.

Reading: From a sermon by St. Maximus of Turin

Someone might ask, "Why would a holy man desire baptism?" Listen to the answer: Christ is baptized, not to be made holy by the water, but to make the water holy, and by his cleansing to purify the waters which he touched. For the consecration of Christ involves a more significant consecration of the water. For when the Savior is washed all water for our baptism is made clean, purified at its source for the dispensing of baptismal grace to the people of future ages. Christ is the first to be baptized, then, so that Christians will follow after him with confidence.

Pray either the Canticle of Zechariah or the Canticle of Mary. You can find them here.
Antiphon for the Canticle of Zechariah:     All who once reviled you will come and bow down in worship before your very footprints.
Antiphon for the Canticle of Mary:     An angel warned the wise men in a dream to return to their own country by a different route.

Intercessions

Reveal yourself to all who seek the truth.
Christ, our Light, hear us!
Draw nations into your marvelous light.
Christ, our Light, hear us!
Send laborers into your vineyard.
Christ, our Light, hear us!

God our Father, through Christ your Son the hope of eternal life dawned on our world. Give to us the light of faith that we may acknowledge him as our Redeemer and come to the glory of his kingdom, where he lives with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.