Luke 1:67 – 80 Zechariah’s Canticle

Luke 1:67 – 80 Zechariah’s Canticle

Then Zechariah his father, filled with the holy Spirit, prophesied, saying: "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 God 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." The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

This is less a father’s prayer for an individual child than a prayer of intense gratitude for God’s intervention on his people’s behalf. Through this child’s birth, God has begun to take concrete action into the world. Why? Zechariah says it is to "give His people a knowledge of salvation in freedom from their sins” “a work of kindness and mercy by our God." “to guide our feet into the way of peace”. Lucky Zechariah. He has apparently gotten over his prior doubt – of course he had nine quiet months to meditate upon it – and come to a place by God’s grace of strong , strong faith in God, of realization what God wants for his people and how He is willing to take action. All he has learned, all he now knows he pours out in this prayer. How would it be to have a faith that strong, a faith that sees God’s actions, God’s purpose in the world and responds to it with gratitude? Lucky Zechariah.