A few days ago, I prayed  the Benedictus, Zachariah’s prayer announcing the “Dawn from on high, breaking upon us”, not in a chapel, but looking from a plane window over the Alps on its way to Rome. Zachariah, like many people of old, experienced the dawn better than we do. We seldom look out the window as we awake, but prefer to listen to some device announcing news of the day. .

Zachariah saw the dawn announcing more than a day’s news. So many of the psalms prayed each morning do the same. God is present today, sure as the dawn. The dawn “from on high” takes possession of our day. God comes into our dark world. God has come in Jesus Christ. 

We have to announce that too, like John the Baptist did. The Light has come.

Here’s his prayer and some pictures from a plane. 

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

  he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

  born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old,

that he would save us from our enemies,

  from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

  and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,

  to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

  holy and righteous in his sight

  all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,

  for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

  by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

  the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,

and 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 for ever. Amen.