Holy Innocents
Massacre of the Innocents (1824), by Léon Cogniet. Lections: The First Sunday of Christmas , AD 2025 A Homily: Lord, we pray for the preacher, for you know his sins are great. Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The presents have been opened, the feasts devoured, the guests gone home—and yet our Christmas continues. For just how long is some matter of debate. The tradition, of course, is Twelve Days, from Christmas Eve unto Twelfth Night, the eve of the Epiphany. The Roman Catholic Church recently extended the season until the Sunday after Epiphany, the Baptism of Our Lord. I suspect that we will follow suit. But medievals of means put us all to shame, by celebrating a full 40 days until Candlemas, 2nd February, a holiday of many names. I try to have our tree down by then. The second, third, and fourth days of Christmas—the 26th, 27th, and 28th of December—are known as the Comites Christi, the Companions o...
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