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The Fourth Day of Christmas and the feast of the Holy Innocents
Light Christmas Candles and say or sing:
O Holy ONE + open my lips,
~And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Glory to God in the highest
~And peace to God’s people on Earth.
Invitation to Worship
Christ, the newborn, praised by the Innocents: Come, let us adore Him!
MORNING HYMN FOR HOLY INNOCENTS
All may sing or alternate the verses of the Coventry Carol:
Lully, Thou little tiny Child,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Lullay, thou little tiny Child,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
O sisters too, how may we do,
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom we sing
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
Herod, the king, in his raging,
Charged hath he this day
His men of might, in his owne sight,
All children young to slay.
That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
And ever morn and day,
For thy parting neither say nor sing,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
PSALMODY
Psalm 123/124
Our life like a bird has escaped from the snare of the fowler.
“If Adonai had not been with us,”
this is Israel’s song,
“If Adonai had not been on our side
when evil men rose up against us,
then would we have been swallowed alive,
when their fury was inflamed toward us.”
The waters of the flood would have engulfed us,
a thundering torrent over our heads;
the rushing and surging waters
would have swept us away.
Blessed be Adonai
for saving our flesh from their teeth!
for tearing the fowler’s nets,
so we could flutter away like birds.
Our help is in the Name of Adonai,
who made both heaven and Earth.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
Our life like a bird has escaped from the snare of the fowler.
READING Jeremiah 31: 15
In Ramah is heard the sound of moaning, of bitter weeping!
Rachel mourns her children, she refuses to be consoled because her children are no more.
Responsory
R. I will rejoice in my people; * weeping and cries for help shall not be heard in her again. V. There shall be an end to death, and to mourning and crying and pain. Behold! I am making all things new! * weeping and cries for help shall not be heard in her again.
Canticle of Zachary– Luke 1:68-79
Antiphon
When the Christ was born in Bethlehem, the gift-bearing Magi came from the east.
But in great anger, Herod mowed down the infants as wheat;
for his way of ruling has come to an end.
Blessed + be Adonai, the God of Israel,
Who visits this people to set us free
Raising for us a sign of salvation
In the house and family of David.
God promised throughout past ages
In words of holy prophets
To save us from our enemies,
And from the control of our oppressors.
Adonai favored our ancestors
And remembered the sacred covenant.
The pledge to Abraham and Sarah
Is now renewed for us;
That freed from the grip of our foes
We might worship without fear
And be both just and holy
For the rest of our days.
And you, child, called “prophet of the Most High,”
Will go ahead to prepare the way,
By teaching this people of salvation
Through forgiveness of their sins.
For the loving compassion of the Holy One
As the Rising Sun will shine upon us
To illumine the darkness and dispel death’s shadow
To Guide our feet on the way of peace.
Glory to the ONE through the WORD
In the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
When the King was born in Bethlehem, the Magi came from the east.
But in great anger, Herod mowed down the infants as wheat;
for his way of ruling has come to an end.
Litany of Intercession
Lord Jesus, Son of God Most High, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ Jesus, Son of Earth, blossoming with justice,
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, Son of Mary, virgin and mother, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Prayer of Jesus
Lord Jesus, you taught us to pray: Our Father …
Closing Prayer & Blessing
Holy One, Source of all light and life, we remember today Herod’s slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem. As we celebrate their memory on this fourth day of Christmas, receive into the arms of your mercy all victims of this world’s arrogance and greed. May the power you revealed in the vulnerability of Jesus, frustrate the designs of those who destroy life to maintain their privilege and bring us all together into that new creation where all will enjoy the fullness of life. We ask this and all things in the name of Jesus, our Emmanuel. Amen.
May the Word Made Flesh, + full of grace and truth, bless us and keep us. Amen.
Let us bless the world with peace. ~And give thanks to God.