Hymns and Canticles

The Benedictus (Canticle of Zachary)

The song of Zachary at the birth of his son, St John the Baptist, from Luke 1:68-79 in the Douay-Rheims Bible ("the Orient" means the dawn, Christ rising like the sun). The Church sings it every morning at Lauds, so it makes a fine morning prayer.

The Visitation, a painting by Domenico Ghirlandaio
The Visitation, Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1491

The prayer

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; because he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people:
And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us, in the house of David his servant:
As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who are from the beginning:

Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us:
To perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy testament,
The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father, that he would grant to us,

That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear,
In holiness and justice before him, all our days.

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways:
To give knowledge of salvation to his people, unto the remission of their sins:

Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which the Orient from on high hath visited us:
To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: to direct our feet into the way of peace.

In Latin

Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel, quia visitavit et fecit redemptionem plebis suae.

Pray it this week

Pray the Benedictus with your morning coffee on three days this week.

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