Benedictus

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
For he has visited and redeemed his people
And has raised up a mighty Savior
In the house of David, his servant

As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets
Who have been since the world began
To save us from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us

To show the mercy promised to our fathers
And to remember his holy covenant
The oath that he swore to our father Abraham
To grant us
That we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies
Might serve him without fear
In holiness and righteousness before him
All the days of our life

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High
For you will go before the Lord
To prepare his ways

To give knowledge of salvation to his people
In the forgiveness of their sins

Because of the tender mercy of our God
Whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
To give light to those who sit in darkness
And in the shadow of death
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