Blessed be the Lord,
The God of Israel;
He has come to His people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour,
Born of the house of His servant David.
Through His holy prophets He promised of old
That He would save us from our enemies,
From the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
And to remember His holy Covenant.
This was the oath He swore to our father Abraham:
To set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship Him without fear,
Holy and righteous in His sight
All the days of our life.
You, My child shall be called
The prophet of the Most High,
For you will go before the Lord to prepare His way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation
By the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our Lord
The dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness
And the shadow of death,
And to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning.
is now, and will be forever.
Amen.
The story of Canticle of Zechariah
Canticle of Zechariah is a Christian prayer that is typically recited in the morning by Roman Catholics. The prayer comes from the Book of Luke, and it is also called the Benedictus after its first word in Latin, “Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel.”
Zechariah was a priest who was married to Elizabeth, who is the cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus. One day, while Zechariah was performing duties in the temple, the archangel Gabriel appeared to him to tell him that he and Elizabeth would have a son, who would become John the Baptist.
The Canticle of Zechariah is the song of thanksgiving that Zechariah sang when he found out that Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist. The prayer is a hymn of praise to God, acknowledging His mercy and salvation to His people.
The Canticle of Zechariah was incorporated into the Christian liturgy as early as the fifth century. It has been set to music by many composers over the centuries, from medieval plainsong to modern choral settings. The prayer is also recited in the Anglican and Lutheran worship services.