Herod’s rage against the Child fell on the boys of Bethlehem. The Church names them martyrs: they died for Christ before they could speak his Name. Their feast on 28 December will not let Christmas become sentimental or safe. They are the first fruits of a kingdom Herod could not kill. Rachel still weeps, and the Church still prays. Ask today for the protection of children, for an end to the slaughter of the small, and for a King who reigns from a manger, not from fear.
Original – Prayer on Fire.
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Scripture
Office of Readings
Jeremiah 31:15–17
Thus says the Lord: “A voice has been heard on high: of lamentation, mourning, and weeping; of Rachel crying for her sons and refusing to be consoled over them, because they are not.”
Thus says the Lord: “Let your voice cease from crying and your eyes from tears. For there is a reward for your work, says the Lord. And they will return from the land of the enemy.
And there is hope for your very end, says the Lord. And the sons will return to their own borders.
Text: Catholic Public Domain Version (CPDV) · Office of Readings
