Benedictus
/ˌbɛnɪˈdɪktəs
/noun Christian Church
1An invocation beginning Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini (Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord) forming a set part of the Mass.These are the seminal texts of the tradition: the Lord's Prayer, the Magnificat, the Benedictus....
- It is indeed difficult to see how men can read the Benedictus or Magnificat without realizing this.
- In the Prayer-Book of 1549 there was no alternative to the Benedictus; it was to be used "throughout the whole year."
2A canticle beginning Benedictus Dominus Deus (Blessed be the Lord God) from Luke 1:68-79.Three of the ‘hymns' from his infancy narratives, now known as the Magnificat, the Benedictus, and the Nunc Dimittis, are widely used in worship....
- The three canticles drawn from the New Testament used daily in the medieval and modern offices of the Roman rite are the Benedictus, the Magnificat, and the Nunc dimittis.
- In response to receiving his son and the return of his voice, Zechariah sang the Benedictus.
Origin
Latin, 'blessed', past participle of benedicere 'wish well'.