My Own Experience of the Benedictus . . . . (or Song of Zachariah)

Early one Sunday morning, I found myself, a mid-western wife, with three Benedictine sisters and a priest.  We were in a small monastery chapel, praying a Morning Prayer service, which included the Benedictus (or Song of Zachariah).  The realization that I made in those moments has reshaped my life.

I am filled with gratitude for that ordinary Sunday morning.  That morning I realized that the Benedictus is not only a beautiful ancient prayer of faithful praise.  It has become my own prayerful call to live in the community of faith.  This is a call shared by the larger Benedictine community.  It describes faith in God as faith has been expressed since before the birth of Christ.  

The words of the Benedictus, and the act of praying them, continually call me back to community, and to the Rule of Benedict.  It serves both as my call to remember, and as my call to actively choose my life of faith, today.

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One Version of the Benedictus

Benedictus

"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,

because he has come and redeemed his people.

He has raised up a horn of salvation for us

in the house of his servant David,

as he said through his holy prophets of long ago,

salvation from our enemies

and from the hand of all who hate us----

to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant,

the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,

and to enable us to serve him without fear

in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;

for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,

to give his people the knowledge of salvation

through the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God,

by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

to shine on those living in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the path of peace."

Glory be to our Creator

To our Redeemer Jesus Christ

And to the Spirit of Life,

who dwells in our midst now and forever. Amen

(Luke 1:68-79 quoted from NIV-UK)