Thoughts for the Day

The Benedicite

O all ye Works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Heavens, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Waters that be above the Firmament, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O all ye Powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Sun and Moon, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye Stars of Heaven, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.

(Lectionary, Common Worship, 2000)

Thoughts

This paeon of adoration for God will be looked at over four sessions. I have used text from the Church of England's book of Common Worship, but you will find it in the Apocrypha (those books that didn't make it into the New Testament) as an addition to the book of Daniel, to be inserted between verses 23 and 24 of Chapter 3. In churches that have Morning Prayer, this Canticle is often said or sung. Its words are attributed to Azariah one of the Hebrews taken into exile by the Babylonians and who was one of the three companions of Daniel who were thrown into the fire on the orders of Nebuchadnezzar for worshipping God and not a golden statue.

Canticles have been sung for centuries, sometimes to invoke a blessing before a meal, or act as a thanksgiving or grace at the end of a meal, or during a service. The word 'canticle' is Latin in origin and means a 'little song'. Their words usually come from biblical texts other than the Book of Psalms. Anglican, Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches all use them, as do many other Christian denominations. Some we know well, eg 'The Magnificat' (Mary's song of praise when greeting her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1.46-55)), and 'The Nunc Dimittis', (Simeon's hymn of joy in the Temple when he meets the baby Jesus (Luke 2.29-32)), though we tend to start this with "Lord" rather than "Master"

Try reading the Benedicite with other people, where one person reads the first line of each verse, and others join in with the second and alternate lines. The Benedicite opens with "All the works of the Lord" and then proceeds in the thirty odd verses to name many of God's works. All God's creatures, including us, are bidden to offer Blessings and Praise to God. When did you and I offer such a paean of praise to our Heavenly Father?

Lord God
we extol Your holy name,
and praise You for Your wondrous works.
We thank You for Your goodness,
and Your loving kindness to us.
You have sustained us
from our birth
and have been our hope
from the beginning.
May we continue to praise You
through our life,
whatever the future holds.
Amen.