The beauty of Luke’s version of the birth narrative is his inclusion of unique individuals. One of those characters was named Simeon and he, in response to meeting the Christ child, was offering a praise to God called the Nunc Dimittis. As we prepare for the close of 2023 and start of 2024, we will celebrate the Salvation of God and highlight our part in being the light of God’s salvation to our community and the world.

When Jesus was born, it prompted a heavenly choir to sing in joyful exuberance. They sung, Gloria In Excelsis Deo. The angelic offering was witnessed by lowly shepherds and if to suggest that the presence of Jesus impacted the highest realms and the lowest jurisdictions.

John the Baptist played a pivotal role in the life and ministry of Jesus. His birth narrative features the actions and reactions of his mother and father Zechariah. At one point, Zechariah uttered a lyrical prophecy called the Benedictus. While the song speaks of the birth of his own son, it speaks to the larger work of God to be done through Jesus.

After Mary receives the message that she will bear a son named Jesus, her first reaction was bewilderment. Soon, she accepted the calling and after a visit with a relative, Mary responded with a song of praise come to be known as the Magnificat. In her song, Mary acknowledges her part in bringing to fruition the promises if God for all generations.