The Holy Innocents

Happy fourth day of Christmas! Today we pause a moment in our revelry for the feast of the Holy Innocents.

When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.

Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:

“A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.”

(The Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew,
chapter 2, verses 16-18)