God of truth and light,
You called John the Baptist to prepare the way for Your Son,
crying out in the wilderness,
calling sinners to repentance,
and shining the light of justice in the courts of kings.

When the cost of truth was death,
 he did not flinch.
 When the price of integrity was silence,
 he chose Your voice over his own safety.

Lord, grant us the courage of John,
 to stand firm when truth is costly,
 to proclaim Christ when it is inconvenient,
 to be faithful even when the world turns away.

May his martyrdom inspire us
 to speak with boldness and live with holiness,
 until we, too, can say:
 “He must increase, and I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

St. John the Baptist, prophet and martyr,
pray for us.

Amen.