Categories: hymns
Date: 05 December 2004 05:25:25
| O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis. | O Dawn, splendour of eternal light, and sun of justice, come, and shine on those seated in darkness, and in the shadow of death. |
Zecharias' prophecy (the Benedictus), his praise to God, is a passage I discovered I'm not familiar with. Reading it now, I pray I won't forget it anytime soon. It speaks wonderfully of the marvellous acts of God in fulfilling the promises He made to Israel.
These verses speak of the Messiah who, like the rising sun, brings light to those in darkness.78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
79 To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.
We adore the True Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2 - "But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.") who has led us all to give worship to Him, as is said in the Troparion of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord (Christmas):
Your Nativity, O Christ our God,
Has shone to the world the Light of wisdom!
For by it, those who worshipped the stars,
Were taught by a Star to adore You,
The Sun of Righteousness,
And to know You, the Orient from on High.
O Lord, glory to You!