#Canticle of Zechariah

[jackiestarsister]

Two of my biggest fandoms just collided:

Tony Amendola, who played Geppetto in Once Upon a Time ...

... played Zechariah in the new episode of The Chosen.

I approve 100%.

[ave-immaculata]

Say to the fainthearted: Take courage! The Lord our God is coming to save us.

[sassystudent-me]

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.

If anyone's interested (for Lent or just in general) in starting a prayer/Bible reading practice and would like to find one in podcast form, have I got the recommendation for you!

A Morning at the Office and An Evening at Prayer have daily ~15 min episodes! They draw from the Book of Common Prayer and follow the Episcopal liturgical year, so it might not perfectly align with your practice, but I've been really valuing them. You can pick one each day, or listen to both and get to rehear the Bible readings.

Put it on on your commute, while you eat breakfast, or while lying in bed--you can worship with others and you can learn some new prayers!

[emvidal]

THE BLESSED VIRGIN: MISSIONARY AND EVANGELIST

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."

- St. Luke 1:39-45

____________________________

It was soon after the Annunciation that the Blessed Virgin Mary visited her cousin St. Elizabeth, who in a few months would give birth to St. John Baptist.

It was the Blessed Virgin Mary who in her womb bore the King of heaven and earth, the Creator of the world, the Son of the Eternal Father, the Sun of Justice. She was the first missionary and evangelist, as she carried in her womb the Incarnate Word, taking Him to others. And when the two mothers embraced, it was the close proximity of Jesus which brought about the cleansing of John from original sin in his mother's womb.

Hearing herself addressed by the most lofty title of "Mother of the Lord" and realizing what grace her visit had conferred on John, the Blessed Virgin would later break out in a canticle of praise proclaiming: "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because he that is mighty hath magnified me and holy is His name" (Lk. 1:46).

As we approach the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, all these things should increase and inspire our love and devotion to Mary, Mother of God. In imitation of her, we are all called to be missionaries and evangelists, carrying the Lord Jesus within us so that He might be shown to others through our own words and deeds.

____________________________

Pictured: "The Visitation"

by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905)

https://frchristophergphillips.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-blessed-virgin-missionary-and.html

[thecatholiccrusade]

The Canticle of Zechariah / The Benedictus — A Prayer of Praise and Redemption

Listen as you read “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and brought redemption to his people.” These opening words of the Benedictus ring out each morning in monasteries, convents, and churches worldwide as Catholics begin their day with this ancient song of praise. The Canticle of Zechariah, recorded in Luke’s Gospel, stands as one of the three great canticles of the New…

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF THE BIRTH OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST Feast Day: June 24

"He must increase, but I must decrease." -John 3:30

The feast commemorating his birth is celebrated every year on June 24th.

In the Holy Gospel according to Luke, John the Baptist shares with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the privilege of celebrating not only his entrance into eternal life, but also the days of his birth.

His parents - Zechariah (or Zachary) and Elizabeth, were righteous in the eyes of God, but they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.

Once, when Zechariah was serving as a priest in the temple, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to him. He said: 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John.'

Zechariah protested that he and his wife were old, and he said: 'Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.'

And Gabriel replied: 'You will be speechless until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words.'

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have a child, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said: 'No, he will be called John.' They were surprised, since none of the family had such a name. So, Zechariah asked for a tablet and wrote: 'His name is John.'

Immediately, his motuh was opened he began praising God saying: 'Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel.' Then, he said the Canticle of Zechariah or the Benedictus.

The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the days of his manifestation in Israel.

[scentedchildnacho]

Watch "Benedictus (Gregorian Chant in Latin) - CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH" on YouTube

[brothersean]

Canticle of Zechariah Feb 20th: Monday Morning Prayers from the Celtic Franciscan Traditions: CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH | https://youtu.be/G9NI1YUG-pg

[celticfranciscanmonk-blog]

Benedictus (Canticle of Zechariah), Carlo Gesualdo | TENET Vocal Artists Feb 13th: Monday Morning Prayer Brother’s gift 4 your heart:   Benedictus (Canticle of Zechariah), Carlo Gesualdo | TENET Vocal Artists https://youtu.be/GkT81a2gWKg

[mustardseedscommunity]

Psalter I, Octave of Easter -Saturday

Psalter I, Octave of Easter -Saturday

Octave of Easter-Saturday Invitatory Morning Prayer Midday Prayer Evening Prayer Office of Reading Night Prayer   Go back to Divine Office Readings NOTE: Please do take note. The readings are taken from www.liturgies.net and compressed on this site to reduce confusion (basing on the confusions I had when I started Divine Office Readings)

[seekfirst-community]

The following reflection is courtesy of Don Schwager © 2022. Don's website is located at Dailyscripture.net

Meditation: Does the proclamation of the Gospel fill you with joy and hope? When the Lord comes to redeem us he fills us with his Holy Spirit, the source of our joy and hope in the promises of God.

Filled with the Holy Spirit and the inspired Word of God

John the Baptist was born shortly before Mary delivered her son, Jesus. When John was circumcised on the eighth day according to the Jewish rite, his father Zechariah was "filled with the Holy Spirit" and with great joy. Inspired by the Holy Spirit he spoke out a prophetic word and hymn of blessing for the work of redemption which God was about to accomplish in Christ. He foresaw the fulfillment of God's promise to David and his descendants that David's dynasty would endure forever through the coming of the Messianic King (2 Samuel 7:16). This King would establish peace and security for his people. We often think of peace as the absence of trouble. The peace which the Messiah brings cancels the debt of sin and restores our broken relationship with God.

Do you know the tender mercy and forgiveness of the Savior?

The Holy Spirit gave Zechariah a vision for his own son as a prophet and forerunner who would prepare the way for the Messiah. Every devout Jew longed for the day when the Messiah would come. Now Zechariah knows beyond a doubt that that day is very near. Like Zechariah, the Holy Spirit wants to give us vision, joy, and confidence in the knowledge of God's merciful love, protection, and care which he offers us through his Son Jesus Christ. Like the Baptist, we too are called to prepare the way that leads to Christ. Life is a journey and we are either moving towards the Lord or away from the Lord. The Lord comes to visit us each day with his life-giving Word and Spirit. Those who hunger for the Lord will not be disappointed. He will draw them to himself and show them his love and mercy.

In sending the Messiah God has made a gracious visit to his people to redeem them. This was the mission for which Jesus Christ was sent into the world - to redeem those sold for sin and sold under sin. In the feast of the Incarnation we celebrate the gracious gift of God in sending his only begotten Son to redeem us. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit may inspire us and fill us with joy and boldness to proclaim the message of the Lord's visitation and redemption.

"Lord Jesus, you have been gracious and merciful towards your people. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may bear witness to the joy of the Gospel to those around me."

The following reflection is from One Bread, One Body courtesy of Presentation Ministries © 2022.

the church’s morning prayer

“Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel because He has visited and ransomed His people.” —Luke 1:68

Many hundreds of thousands of priests and religious have promised under pain of sin to pray each morning today’s Gospel reading, Zechariah’s canticle, as part of praying the Liturgy of the Hours. I promised to do this decades ago, and by God’s grace I have kept my promise.

The Church so emphasizes Zechariah’s prophecy because:

It is a prophecy, and prophets are part of the foundation of the Church (Eph 2:20ff).

Zechariah prayed this prayer when he was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Lk 1:67). May we also be filled with the Holy Spirit when we pray it.

This prophecy teaches us that each morning should remind us that Jesus is “the Dayspring” (Lk 1:78), the Dawn (see Rv 22:16), the Light of the world (Jn 8:12).

This prophecy immediately precedes the Bible’s account of the first Christmas and praying this prayer has proven a good way to prepare to meet Christ in a new way during the Christmas season.

Although most of you are not obligated to pray Zechariah’s canticle each day, pray it today and each day of the Christmas season. You may decide to pray this prayer forever as Jesus guides your “feet into the way of peace” (Lk 1:79).

Prayer:  Jesus, may I make any sacrifice necessary to give You myself as Your Christmas gift.

Promise:  “Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before Me; your throne shall stand firm forever.” —2 Sm 7:16

Praise:  Gloria has prayed morning and evening prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours for twenty years.

Reference:  

Rescript:  "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from December 1,2022 through January 31,2023. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio April 12, 2022"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements

[lawrenceop]

HOMILY for 24th December

2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12,14,16; Ps 88; Luke 1:67-79

A number of us have been watching the Masterchef Professionals, and quite a few people have mentioned this year’s champion to me because his winning menu was comprised entirely of Singaporean dishes. However, many others around the country have been captivated by another even more popular television programme, Strictly Come Dancing. Last year, in the first year of Covid, it brought much-needed cheer to people, and so too this year as Covid again occupies our headlines. The Strictly Come Dancing Final last Saturday was watched by eleven million people, more than double the viewership of the Masterchef Final.

However, the dance highlight of this week is not the BBC’s annual dance extravaganza but, rather, what we shall do tomorrow. Don’t worry, the Filipino party was last night, so we won’t have to dance and play games tomorrow! Rather, what I have in mind is God’s dance. For the 24th of December always brings to mind the beautiful medieval-inspired words of one of my favourite carols which will be sung during the Offertory at Midnight Mass tonight. It says: “Tomorrow shall be my dancing day;/ I would my true love did so chance/ To see the legend of my play,/ To call my true love to my dance! Sing, oh! my love, oh! my love, my love, my love,/ This have I done for my true love”.

Christ is singing this carol, and he enters the play, the drama of our human lives wherein the drama of our redemption is played out. He desires that “we so chance to see the legend of [his] play”, meaning that we would take the opportunity tomorrow and in these hopefully quieter days of Christmastide next week to contemplate and to see the meaning, the significance, the legend, ie, the things-to-be-read regarding his birth. Why, as St Anselm pondered, did God become Man? What is it that he desires for us, for me, whom he calls his “true love”?

The carol’s answer is simple: that we may dance with God.

In every dance there is a song; there must be some music. And so Zechariah breaks forth into song, a canticle that is sung by the Church, by us, every morning. And this song begins the dance, foretelling that Christ has come to “guide out feet into the way of peace” (Lk 1:79).

As anyone who’s watched ballroom dancers will know, footwork is essential, and the feet of the dancing pair has to be co-ordinated and work together. And in every dance one leads while the other follows. Many a Strictly Come Dancing participant has floundered and fallen when they fail in this regard. So it is with us. Because of Adam’s sin Mankind has floundered, lost his footing, and fallen. The steps we sinners take are inelegant, we dance to our own individualistic tune, and in our own erratic and uncoordinated way. Hence God himself comes in the person of Jesus Christ to become our dance partner. Christ comes to guide our steps, to lead the way in God’s dance, and so to teach us the footwork that enables us to dance into the way of peace, that is, into the way that unites us to God in love.

So, let us allow ourselves to be led by Christ, to be co-ordinated with his grace, and so to move according to God’s rhythm and the heavenly music of the angels. Together with Christ and only with him can Man take up the beautiful dance of salvation. Only this brings deep joy and true Christmas cheer to our hearts. So, today the music begins – the psalm today even calls us to sing of God’s love – for tomorrow shall be our dancing day as God, our true love, calls us to join his divine dance. For on Christmas day all are strictly called to come dancing!

[ave-immaculata]

it just hit me that when Zechariah gives his canticle, he proclaims so boldly that God has raised up for us a mighty Saviour and.... that Saviour is still in His mother's womb. our mighty Saviour is vulnerable and tiny and helpless. THIS is the one who WILL save us from our enemies, from the hands of ALL who hate us. this Child, who hasn't taken His very first breath.

[dylandrego]

Sunrise on the first Sunday of Advent. “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.” - Benedictus (Canticle of Zechariah)

[septembersung]

Listening with respect to the message of the angel, and prudently questioning him on how it was possible for her to be the Mother of Christ, Our Lady gave her immediate, willing and whole-hearted consent. From then on, her prayerful expectation of the birth of Christ is a model for us of the devout attitude we should endeavour to adopt during the season of Advent. From the moment of her conception in the womb of Saint Anne, Our Lady, by a singular privilege, was free from original sin and never committed a single venial sin. Educated in the Temple from childhood, she faithfully and obediently followed the law of God as it was then in force for the Jewish people. She took part in the worship of the synagogue on the sabbath and went to Jerusalem for the great feasts. She observed those feasts with devotion, aware of their meaning which pointed to the Messiah, her own child, the One who is to come. At those feasts, the psalms formed a major part of the liturgy. She would have known them well, along with the books of the prophets. She must have sung the psalms with a certain thrill of happiness, knowing the fullness of their meaning. Thanks to her Immaculate Conception, she understood them with greater insight than any before her. We should pray to her to obtain the grace for us to reverence those holy psalms and canticles of the inspired scriptures which form an integral part of the sacred liturgy of the Mass and the Divine Office. By the grace of the Holy Spirit, and her singular vocation she also knew how the prophecies were being fulfilled as the child grew in her womb from a single-celled embryo that came to be through the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost. The natural joy of a mother looking forward to the birth of her child was immeasurably enriched by the knowledge communicated to her by the angel that this child was to be great, holy, the Son of God. She was more privileged than all the prophets because she actually carried Christ, nourished Him through her own bloodstream, and was in a spiritual communion of holiness with Him. When she heard “You are my son it is I who have begotten you this day” she knew that the Son was begotten now in time, in her own womb, to be our Saviour. When she heard the verse of Isaiah “The virgin will conceive and bear a son” she knew that this prophecy had come about in her own life. She will also have heard of the proclamation of Zechariah, the father of St John the Baptist: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people”, a prophecy that is sung every day today in the office of the Church. Our Lady’s consent to the invitation of God to be the Mother of Christ was eagerly awaited by those looking forward to salvation, from Adam, through Abraham, Moses, King David, and the prophets. We know that creation protested at the crucifixion of Our Lord: creation must surely have rejoiced that its whole purpose was being fulfilled now in the humble assent of the Woman who was chosen by God to bring about what it was created for. The conception of Jesus Christ was the pivotal moment of all human history, and indeed of the whole of creation. The coming of Christ in the flesh for our salvation is the master-key to understanding the meaning of the entire universe which God created from the Big Bang through all the ages of its development according to the Logos, the Word, the eternal Wisdom of God which in that moment of consent by a young women in Nazareth came into this world. Et Verbum caro factum est. And the Word was made flesh. Finally, she saw His face. The daughter of Sion, the morning star, the gate of heaven herself, was able to welcome the Messiah into the world and to gaze lovingly upon His holy face with delight, and prayerful adoration. St John Paul spoke of the Rosary as “contemplating with Mary the face of Christ.” It would be hard to find a better concise summary of that prayer which I encourage you to say daily. During Advent we would do well to renew our love of the Rosary while thinking of the first occasion there in the stable at Bethlehem when our Blessed Mother contemplated the face of her divine Son. Thinking too, of Our Lady’s love of the Jewish liturgy from which ours succeeds with the authority of our Lord and with the fullness of His presence, we should remember how she also participated in that same Catholic Liturgy which we are celebrating here today. During the time between our Lord’s Ascension to heaven and her own Assumption to be with Him, she knew the singing of the psalms in continuity with the Jewish Liturgy with which she was so familiar. She also took part in the celebration of the New Covenant, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and the sharing in that great sacrifice by receiving Holy Communion. She who carried Him in her womb and nurtured Him, now received Him with unutterable reverence until the time for her to take her place with Him in heaven, seeing Him face to face again in the beatific vision. Advent is indeed a preparation for the feast of Christmas here on earth, but the prayer of the Church reminds us that it is also a preparation for that eternal sacred Liturgy in heaven when we hope, like Mary, to see our Lord face to face in an eternal communion of love. In the longer earthly Advent which is the whole of the Christian spiritual life, let us call on the prayers of our Mother and Queen to help us prepare so that we may be worthy to take our place with her in heaven. Sermon given at St Bede’s Clapham Park on 8 December 2019

[dailybiblelessons]

Wednesday: Reflection on the Third Sunday in Epiphany

Hebrew Scripture from the Torah: Genesis 49:1-2, 8-13, 21-26

There is a parallel passage at Deuteronomy 33 (blessings by Moses).

Then Jacob called his sons, and said: “Gather around, that I may tell you what will happen to you in days to come.

“Assemble and hear, O sons of Jacob;  listen to Israel your father.

“Judah, your brothers shall praise you;  your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;  your father's sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's whelp;  from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches down, he stretches out like a lion,  like a lioness–who dares rouse him up? The scepter shall not depart from Judah,  nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him;  and the obedience of the peoples is his. Binding his foal to the vine  and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he washes his garments in wine  and his robe in the blood of grapes; his eyes are darker than wine,  and his teeth whiter than milk.

“Zebulun shall settle at the shore of the sea;  he shall be a haven for ships,  and his border shall be at Sidon.

“Naphtali is a doe let loose  that bears lovely fawns.

“Joseph is a fruitful bough,  a fruitful bough by a spring;  his branches run over the wall. The archers fiercely attacked him;  they shot at him and pressed him hard. Yet his bow remained taut,  and his arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,  by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, by the God of your father, who will help you,  by the Almighty who will bless you  with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath,  blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of your father  are stronger than the blessings of the eternal mountains,  the bounties of the everlasting hills; may they be on the head of Joseph,  on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.”

Psalm 27:7-14

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,  be gracious to me and answer me! “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek.  Do not hide your face from me.

Do not turn your servant away in anger,  you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,  O God of my salvation! If my father and mother forsake me,  the Lord will take me up.

Teach me your way, O Lord,  and lead me on a level path  because of my enemies. Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,  for false witnesses have risen against me,  and they are breathing out violence.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord  in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord;  be strong, and let your heart take courage;  wait for the Lord!

New Testament Gospel Lesson: Luke 1:67-79

Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,  for he has looked favorably on his people  and redeemed them. He has raised up a mighty savior for us  in the house of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets  from of old,  that we would be saved from our enemies  and from the hand of all who hate us. Thus he has shown the mercy  promised to our ancestors,  and has remembered his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,  to grant us that we, being rescued  from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear,  in holiness and righteousness  before him all our days. And you, child, will be called  the prophet of the Most High;  for you will go before the Lord  to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people  by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God,  the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness  and in the shadow of death,  to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Year A Epiphany 3 Wednesday

Bible verses from The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All right reserved. Selections from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright 1985 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Image Credit:  Jacob Blessing His Twelve Sons by Thomas Dalziel. This public domain image was downloaded from http://sproutsoffaith.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-study-of-genesis-israel-in-egypt.html.