He Who Loves the Innocent

Today in the Church marks one of the most overlooked, yet important Feast Days of the year. In the celebration and joy of the Christmas season we miss many of the most significant days of the Church. Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents.

On this day we remember all of the children who were taken by King Herod’s edict, meant to snuff out the light just coming into the world. St Stephen, whose Feast was yesterday, is considered the protomartyr of the Church. However, it could be argued that these children might stand even before Stephen.

Here in our own very city there remains a number of homeless, starving and ill, many even being children. Today, we might consider them, how we might serve them, and where the Christ child calls each of us today.

Let us pray…

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, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.