Benedictus/ Song of Zachariah

16
The Song of Zechariah
Benedictus Dominus Deus

Luke 1: 68-79
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 savior, *
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 God *
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 for ever. Amen.

(The Book of Common Prayer
Copyright The Episcopal Church USA)

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)