History
The annual celebration of Ss. Zacharias and Elizabeth has historically been a rather minor one in the Church, the sort of celebration that is often recalled with prayers in the services of the Church but has not necessarily been the source of large-scale celebration rich with folk traditions like the feasts of Christ and his apostles. Yet though we couldn’t find any folk traditions explicitly tied to this day, it is worthwhile to note that some traditions that are central to the life of the Church are intimately connected with these two saints.
From the biblical narratives for Ss. Zacharias and Elizabeth, the Church has received two of the great canticles—a word that means biblical songs outside the Psalter—that she uses in her daily prayers: the Magnificat and the Benedictus.
Our last post on Ss. Zacharias and Elizabeth referenced the Blessed Virgin Mary’s trip to visit her relative Elizabeth, commonly known as the Visitation (Luke 1:39-56). In his recounting of this visit, St. Luke records not only Elizabeth’s words to Mary but also Mary’s response to Elizabeth in one of the most famous songs of praise in the whole Scriptures: the Magnificat. This song of Mary has been taken up by the Church in its liturgical life from early on, being sung daily in the evening prayer service of Vespers from the early centuries of the New Testament Church. This is reflected in the liturgy of Vespers found in the Lutheran Service Book (p. 231).
Similarly, the song that St. Zacharias sings once his tongue has been loosed—the Benedictus (Luke 1:67-80)—has been a part of the Church’s traditional daily prayers. Specifically, the Church has historically sung the Benedictus daily during the office of Lauds, a morning prayer service following the office of Matins. Since Lauds has generally fallen out of use among Lutherans, the Lutheran Service Book allows for the Benedictus to be sung daily during the service of Matins (p. 226).
Traditional Prayers for This Day—and Every Day!
Matins and Vespers are part of the Daily Office, a series of prayer services that have formed the Church’s daily life. The well-known service of Compline is also a part of the Daily Office. Saints from throughout the Church’s history have set aside time to pray the Daily Office each day as a way to be immersed in the Word of God and prayer.
Perhaps you and your household are already in the habit of using the Daily Office. If you are, this annual commemoration offers you an opportunity to discuss with your household the origin of these prayers that you are accustomed to praying each day and how Ss. Zacharias and Elizabeth played a role in shaping the prayers that we say even today.
Perhaps your household isn’t in the habit of praying Matins and Vespers and might not be as familiar with these prayers. If that’s the case, the commemoration of Ss. Zacharias and Elizabeth is a perfect opportunity for you to introduce your household to these historic practices of prayer. You might even realize that you would like to utilize them more often in your daily devotions!
A note for those who are nervous about the music of the Daily Office: there’s no need to be afraid! While the Church’s song is certainly a treasure to be enjoyed, the Daily Office can be spoken just as well as it can be sung, so feel free simply to speak the prayers. If you’d like to learn the music, however, the choir from Concordia Theological Seminary has produced free recordings of the music to both Matins and Vespers, which can serve as helpful learning tools for those who want to sing these beautiful prayers but aren’t strong music readers.
