Eucharistic Readings:
Psalm 124;
Jeremiah 31:15-17;
Revelation 21:1-7;
Matthew 2:13-18Preface of the Incarnation
Daily Office Readings:
AM Psalm 2, 26;
Isaiah 49:13-23;
Matthew 18:1-14
PM Psalm 19, 126;
Isaiah 54:1-13;
Mark 10:13-16
PRAYER (traditional language)
We remember this day, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents
of Bethlehem by the order of King Herod. Receive, we beseech thee, into
the arms of thy mercy all innocent victims; and by thy great might frustrate
the designs of evil tyrants and establish thy rule of justice, love, and
peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
PRAYER (contemporary language)
We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of
Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy
all innocent victims; and by your great might frustrate the designs of
evil tyrants and establish your rule of justice, love, and peace; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Return to Lectionary Home Page
Webmaster: Charles Wohlers
Last updated: 18 Nov. 2001
THE HOLY INNOCENTS
(28 DEC NT)
We read in Matthew 2 that when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, King Herod,
fearing for his throne, ordered that all the male infants of Bethlehem
be killed. These children are regarded as martyrs for the Gospel -- "martyrs
in fact though not in will." Augustine called them "buds, killed
by the frost of persecution the moment they showed themselves." For
a discussion of the historical background of the episode, consult the
Web page
http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/CHRISTIA/library/infancy2.html
(NOTE: Ignore what the file says about the Assumption of Moses.)
by James Kiefer
