+ We are now on the brink of the Christmas celebration and there is no more fitting final word of preparation than the now finally audible words of the father of the herald of Christ (John the Baptist) who is priest of the temple, Zechariah. Next to Mary’s Canticle of Praise to God (the Magnificat) today’s Gospel turned Canticle (The Benedictus) is second in honor in the Church’s prayer catalog of canticles. It is the Canticle recited daily for Morning Prayer of the Divine Office. It is a canticle of blessing for the fulfillment of the promise of God to send a Savior, so that God’s people could be free from the hands of their enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of their life. It is a canticle prophesying the mission of his own son, John, in being the one to clear the way before the actual appearance of the Messiah – so that forgiveness of sins could be accomplished.
The
Verse before the gospel, the final O
Antiphon summarizes all of this final week’s preparation by proclaiming: O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light,
sun of justice: come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow
of death!
Come O Radiant Dawn and find us watching
in wonder and awe for the events of your Nativity, again, this year!
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