Zechariah, his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:
"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for 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 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 hand of our enemies, free to worship his 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 will 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."
The Gospel of the Lord.
God has been silent to the people of Israel for 400 years, and to emphasize that point keeps Zechariah silent for an additional nine months while Zechariah contemplates the birth of his and Elizabeth' son, John [meaning God is merciful] and when John is born and named Zechariah sings out in the Benedictus, a new beginning, a dawn, part of the morning prayer prayed daily by all the ordained of the Church.
[John Paul 2nd to my] Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Our commentary on the Psalms and canticles from Morning Prayer concludes today with the Canticle of Zechariah, commonly known as the Benedictus. It is a prophetic canticle, in which the father of John the Baptist, indicates three events in God's liberation of Israel: the covenant with Abraham, the covenant with David, and the new covenant with Christ. Like the "dawn from on high," Christ gives light and guides us into the way of peace. As the Venerable Bede notes: Christ shows us "the sure way to reach our heavenly homeland."
"Zechariah" means "God has remembered"; "John" means "God is merciful"; "Jesus" means "God saves".
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