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 emergence of Canticle of Zechariah
The Canticle of Zechariah is a hymn/prayer found in the Gospel of Luke, spoken by Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.
It is also known as the Benedictus, which is the first word of the prayer in Latin.
The prayer is traditionally recited by the Catholic Church during its morning prayer service, the Liturgy of the Hours, and is also used in other Christian liturgies.
The Canticle of Zechariah has been used in Christian liturgy since at least the third century, and has been incorporated into the Liturgy of the Hours since the Middle Ages.
The text of the prayer is based on several Old Testament scriptures, including Isaiah 40:3-5 and Malachi 3:1.
The prayer is often seen as a prophetic announcement of the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of his kingdom on earth.
The Benedictus has been set to music by many composers, including Johann Sebastian Bach and Franz Schubert, and is a central part of the Catholic liturgy.
Overall, the Canticle of Zechariah is a beautiful and meaningful prayer that has been a part of Christian worship for centuries.