#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%.

[superiorcatholicinspiration]

Daily Mass: Blessed be the Lord! Catholic Inspiration

Photo by Gareth Davies on Pexels.com Zechariah praises God as he recognizes that his newborn son will one day prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah. Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 4th Week of Advent (#200) *************** Catholic Inspiration Archives

[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!

[rosaliachristian]

Tuesday, December 23, 2024

Bishop Robert Barron

Cycle C

Advent

4th wk of Advent

Topics

Advent

John the Baptist

Salvation

Savior

Zechariah

Bible References

Luke 1:67-79

Friends, today’s Gospel contains the prayer of Zechariah at the birth of his son, John the Baptist. 

This prayer is especially precious to priests, religious, and all those who pray the Liturgy of the Hours on a daily basis. It’s called the “Benedictus,” from its first word in Latin, or the “Canticle of Zechariah.” What’s wonderful about this prayer (and why the Church asks its ministers to pray it every day) is that it sums up magnificently the whole history of salvation, putting Jesus and John in the context of the great story of Israel.

I would like to explore two lines of that great prayer today. The God of Israel, Zechariah prays, “has come to his people and set them free.” This is what God always wants to do. He hates the fact that we’ve become enslaved by sin and fear, and accordingly, he wants to liberate us. The central event of the Old Testament is an event of liberation from slavery. We are, as sinners, enslaved to our pride, our envy, our anger, our appetites, our greed, our lust—all of which wrap us up and keep us from being the people that we want to be.

Zechariah continues: “He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David.” God will effect this liberation through the instrumentation of a mighty Savior. This should be read against the background of Israel’s long history of military struggle against its enemies. A great warrior has come, and he is from the house of Israel’s greatest soldier, David. God had promised that he would put a descendant of David on the throne of Israel for all eternity, and Zechariah is prophesying that this will take place.

Gospel Reflections

Meditate on Daily Gospel Reflections from Bishop Robert Barron

[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

[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.

[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!

[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)