Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents.

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
“A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.”
—From Matthew 2:1–12, 16–18 (NKJV)

“Let us rediscover the delight God intended to give us through children, whether by birth or adoption, and the life-giving plan he put in place.”

— The Joy of Advent

Reflection

Let’s celebrate children today! Traditionally the Fourth Day of Christmas is a Children’s Day celebration, where games of the youngest child’s choosing are played, their favorite foods served, and the story of Herod’s insanity and cruelty told as a reminder of the preciousness of life. If you don’t have children of your own, take some time today to pray for our world to realize the priceless worth of every child — all, without exception, are image bearers of God.

Children also receive a special blessing like one of those listed below:

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
— Numbers 6:24–26
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
may have power, together with all the saints,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep
is the love of Christ,
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —
that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
— Ephesians 3:17b–19
And this is my prayer:
that your love may abound more and more
in knowledge and depth of insight,
so that you may be able to discern what is best
and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ —
to the glory and praise of God.
— Philippians 1:9–11

Celebrate Together

Gather the family for today’s Celebration in our book, The Joy of Advent. Delve into God’s loving providence in calling the Holy Family to Egypt, explore the Jesse Tree symbol for today, discover the history behind today’s carol, and enjoy a family conversation (or private journaling) about the value of every life.

Today’s Jesse Tree Symbol:
An **Infant** reminds us of the Innocents Murdered by Herod.

Inspiration

Scene du massacre des innocents

Léon Cogniet, 1824.

Music

Reflect on Herod’s madness as you enjoy Coventry Carol. [Play Video]

Sweet Little Jesus Boy will remind us of the reason for Jesus’s gift—his life. [Play Video]

Visit our Joy of Advent YouTube playlist for featured videos, our Ultimate Christmas playlist for all our favorite carols, or our sing-along carols to enjoy karaoke style.

Prayer

O Almighty God, Who out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast ordained strength, and madest infants to glorify Thee by their deaths; Mortify and kill all vices in us, and so strengthen us by Thy grace, that by the innocency of our lives, and constancy of our faith even unto death, we may glorify Thy holy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(From Household Prayer, From Ancient and Authorized Sources, P. G. Medd, 1864)

Resources

Did Herod’s reign overlap with Jesus’s birth? Find a discussion here explaining why the dating of Herod’s death is so much in question.
Enjoy a printable coloring page of Herod ordering his soldiers.
A breathtaking choral version of Coventry Carol.
Would you like to make Jesse Tree ornaments to accompany your readings? Find tutorials and ideas from simple to advanced at our Jesse Tree Ornaments Pinterest board.