Luke 1:67-79
The Canticle of Zachary
If you follow the prayer cycle of the Church you would find that each day morning the Divine Office r ends with this wonderful canticle. There is NEVER at time that it is not 
included. There might be many things happening in your life, and it might pass you by, or you might fail to see the importance, but this Canticle of Zachary, is a great hymn of gratitude to God. It allows us to discover the spirit around us, and it welcomes the new day-one fill with Love and Compassion of God’s unending Love.
Zachary found a reason to be grateful and to celebrate even though he was, for a moment, struck with a being “dumb” for his disbelief of God’s message. But how can you be full of gratitude all the time? Luke tells us that with the newly reinstated speech, Zachary was “filled with the Holy Spirit.” It is important to know that the way forward is to always look with thanksgiving to what had come before. God had visited the people—“As he promised through the mouth of His Holy Prophets from of old.” Zachary recalls the promise to rescue the people of Abraham from their 
enemies. This litany leads to a great celebration of those last of the great prophets who “will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.” Zachary’s canticle radiates the new order the high priest’s own son; he will bridge the old and the new. He will become the mouthpiece announcing the coming of the Messiah who is to come.
When you pray the Divine Office in the morning you are collected together with all the people of good will and recall the works of God. You can NEVER have enough gratitude. This path of gratitude is a way of memory, recollecting the past, and creating a path forward to fully recognize God’s mission for each of us.
Benedictus Dominus Deus!
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Dr. Lawrence V. McCrobie 