Thoughts for the Day

Benedicite, verses 26-32

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

O let Israel bless the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.

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

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

O ye Spirits and Souls of the Righteous, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O ye holy and humble Men of heart, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.

O Ananias, Azarias and Misael, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.

(Lectionary, Common Worship, 2000)

Thoughts

And so our Canticle The Benedicite draws to a close, and the writer bids the people of the world to praise and magnify
God for ever. To do this he picks out different groups of people.

1. First, he calls the 'Children of Men' - emphasising the continuity of life, that ongoing generations should praise and magnify God for ever.
2. Second, he calls 'Israel' - the nation first came into being by the Word of the Lord when He chose Abraham and entered into a covenant with Him. Despite the nation's waywardness He still offers His love, and they should praise and magnify God for ever.
3. Third, he calls 'the Priests of the Lord', those He has chosen and ordained to care for His people should praise and magnify God for ever.
4. Fourth, he call 'the Servants of the Lord', those who see that their place is to serve God in the world should praise and magnify God for ever.
5. Fifth, he calls 'the Spirits and Souls of the righteous', those who offer justice to all, and who should praise and magnify God for ever.
6. Sixth, he calls 'the holy and humble Men of heart', those men and women whom He has called to be His people, who endeavour to live the life of faith, and who should praise and magnify God for ever.

May God give you the strength to praise and magnify Him for ever, along with Ananias, Azarias and Misael, the three men thrown into the first by Nebuchadnezzar.

Heavenly Father,
in Your mercy You call us to Yourself,
and offer us Your love.
Sometimes though we ignore this
and go our own way.
Forgive our waywardness,
and continue to call us we pray.
May this wonderful hymn of praise
remind us of our baptismal rite,
and of all that You offer us Your children.
May we praise and magnify You for ever.
Amen.