by Cathy Hayden
As modern-day Catholics, we are blessed to have access to many printed and digital daily reflections, devotionals, books and other aids to help us in our study and prayer so we can become closer to God, encounter Jesus and hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
These become especially fulfilling to us in these waning days of Advent as we approach Christmas Day and the real beginning of the Christmas season.
One I’m partial to is Give Us This Day Daily Prayer for Today’s Catholic, which is published by Liturgical Press in Collegeville, Minn. In addition to the daily Mass readings with a reflection, Give Us This Day includes Morning and Evening prayers – a shortened version of what is called the “Divine Office” or “Liturgy of the Hours” – and Scriptures for Lectio Divina, a type of reflection and prayer that leads to a deeper understanding and spiritual awakening.
As part of the daily Morning prayer, which includes a reading from Psalms and an Old Testament scripture for Lectio Divina, the Canticle (or hymn) of Zechariah is recited. As part of the Evening prayer, which includes Psalms and a New Testament scripture, the Canticle of Mary, more commonly known as the Magnificat, is recited. Both Canticles can be found at the end of this reflection.
Both of these Canticles come from the story of Jesus’ birth found in the first chapter of Luke. The Canticle of Mary is first in Luke, 1:46-55, as Mary is visiting with her cousin Elizabeth, who is also pregnant.
It is Mary’s answer to Elizabeth when Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, feels her baby leap in her womb and says, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb,” which we recognize in the “Hail, Mary.”
The Canticle of Zechariah is in Luke 1:67-79, just after John the Baptist is born but before Jesus’ birth. In this year’s readings, we find the Canticle of Zechariah as the Christmas Eve morning Gospel. Both the Canticle of Zechariah and the Canticle of Mary are beautiful hymns of thanksgiving to God celebrating the coming Messiah.
As the days of Advent dwindle away and you are looking to renew your Advent joy, perhaps a Morning reading of the Canticle of Zechariah and an Evening reading of the Canticle of Mary, the Magnificat, can help you do that:
Canticle of Zechariah
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
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 holy 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 hands of our enemies,
free to worship him 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 Lord
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.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Canticle of Mary
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on His lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of His servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning.
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
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