Ceremonies continued
After the end of the prayers, the schola begins and continues this antiphon ("O quam metuendos, etc.") and the canticle.
O how fearful is this place! Truly this is no other than the house of God and gate of heaven.
Canticle of Zacharia. Luke 1.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; because he hath visited and
wrought the redemption of his people:
And hath raised up an horn
of salvation to us, * in the house of David, his servant:
As he
spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who are from the beginning:
Salvation from our enemies, * and from the hand of all that hate
us.
To perform mercy to our fathers, * and to remember his holy
testament,
The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father, *
that he would grant to us,
That being delivered from the hand of
our enemies, * we may serve him without fear,
In holiness and
justice before him, * all our days.
And thou, child, shalt be
called the prophet of the Highest: * for thou shalt go before the
face of the Lord to prepare his ways:
To give knowledge of
salvation to his people, * unto the remission of their sins:
Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, * in which the
Orient from on high hath visited us:
To enlighten them that sit
in darkness, and in the shadow of death: * to direct our feet into
the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to
the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever
shall be, world without end. Amen.
While this is being sung, the Bishop writes the letters of the Greek alphabet in the ashes with the tip of his crozier, beginning at the left side from the entrance. In the same manner he inscribes the letters of the Roman alphabet in the ashes at the right side of the cross beginning near the door.