Blessed
be the Lord, the God of Israel,
for
he has visited and brought redemption to his people.
He
has raised up a horn for our salvation
within
the house of David his servant,
even
as he promised through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old:
salvation
from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,
to
show mercy to our fathers
and
to be mindful of his holy covenant,
and
of the oath he swore to Abraham our father,
and
to grant us that,
rescued
from the hand of enemies,
without
fear we might worship him
in
holiness and righteousness
before
him all our days.
And
you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High,
for
you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to
give his people knowledge of salvation
through
the forgiveness of their sins,
because
of the tender mercy of our Gods
by
which the daybreak from on high will visit us
to
shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow,
to
guide our feet into the path of peace.
--
Saint Zechariah from Luke 1:
68 - 79
