Canticle in the Morning Chorus at Night

The Roman Catholic Lectionary offers some texts for the celebration of the last day before Christmas and some texts for the Celebration of the Nativity which will begin this evening. The Gospel for December 24 is the Canticle of Zachariah in which Luke relates the praise to God of Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist, as he understands that the promise of the Covenant, sworn to Abraham, was being fulfilled and the words of Isaiah would become an invitation to people to accept the mercy of God and return to life in light and peace. This life would be announced by the prophet of the Most High who like Zachariah would act in the life filled by the Holy Spirit. Our call of praise and gratitude to the same Spirit empowers us to be witness to the mighty Saviour who is Immanuel, God with us, in our lives. We rejoice in the next days as we meditate on the nature of God, the  Word who is made flesh.