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• August 29, 2025, Today’s Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET
• The Audio Podcast of this Rosary is Available Here Now!

Friends of the Rosary,

Today, August 29, is the Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist, Christ’s precursor.

On June 24, we commemorated his birthday, and today we honor the anniversary of his martyrdom.

Besides our Lord and our Lady, St. John the Baptist is the only one whose birth and death are celebrated.

Today’s Gospel relates the dramatic circumstances of his execution by King Herod.

He had the courage to blame Herod to his face for his illegal union with his sister-in-law Herodias, whose husband was still alive.

Herodias obtained the beheading of the saint through her daughter, Salome.

John suffered a long imprisonment and martyrdom as a witness to our Redeemer. His persecutors demanded that he keep silent about the truth. But John shed his blood for the truth; he died for Christ. By his own suffering, he demonstrated that Christ would also suffer.

He preached the freedom of heavenly peace, bearing witness to the Light of life, yet was thrown into prison by ungodly men. He knew eternal joy would be his reward.

The apostle Paul rightly said: “You have been granted the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake.”

Christ’s gift to his chosen ones is to suffer for him: “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us.”

Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!

Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Please g

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Leo XIV