[Rank]
Ss. Innocentium;;Duplex II class cum octava simplici;;5.2;;ex C3

[Rank1960]
Ss. Innocentium;;Duplex II class;;5;;ex C3

[Rule]
ex C3;
Ant Matutinum 11 special
Psalmi dominica
Antiphonas Horas
9 lectiones
no Te Deum
no Psalm5

[Ant 1]
These are they * who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins, and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.

[Versum 1]
V. Herod being wroth, slew many children.
R. In Bethlehem of Juda, the city of David.

[Oratio]
O God, whose praise the martyred Innocents on this day confessed, not by speaking, but by dying, destroy all the evils of sin in us, that our life also may proclaim in deeds, thy faith which our tongues profess.
$Per Dominum

[Hymnus Matutinum]
v. With terror doth the tyrant hear
The King of kings hath come to dwell
Where David's court shall widely rear
A sceptered reign o'er Israel.
_
Then cries out, raging, at the word:
“He comes to stand where we have stood:
Hence, soldier, and with ruthless sword
Deluge the cradles deep with blood!”
_
What profiteth a crime so dread?
What hope shall Herod's bosom sway?
Alone amidst the thronging dead,
The Christ is safely borne away!
_
All glory for this blessed morn
To God the Father ever be;
All praise to thee, Virgin-born,
All praise, Holy Ghost, to thee.
Amen.

[Lectio1]
Lesson from the book of Jeremias
!Jer 31:15-17
15 Thus saith the Lord: A voice was heard on high of lamentation, of mourning, and weeping, of Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted for them, because they are not.
16 Thus saith the Lord: Let thy voice cease from weeping, and thy eyes from tears: for there is a reward for thy work, saith the Lord: and they shall return out of the land of the enemy.
17 And here is hope for thy last end, saith the Lord: and the children shall return to their own borders.

[Responsory1]
R. A hundred forty four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth; these are they which were not defiled with women.
* For they remained virgins; therefore are they kings before God, and the Lamb of God is with them.
V. These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes in the Blood of the Lamb.
R. For they remained virgins; therefore are they kings before God, and the Lamb of God is with them.

[Lectio2]
!Jer 31:18-20
18 Hearing I heard Ephraim when he went into captivity: thou hast chastised me, and I was instructed, as a young bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. Convert me, and I shall be converted, for thou art the Lord my God.
19 For after thou didst convert me, I did penance: and after thou didst shew unto me, I struck my thigh: I am confounded and ashamed, because I have borne the reproach of my youth.
20 Surely Ephraim is an honourable son to me, surely he is a tender child: for since I spoke of him, I will still remember him.

[Responsory2]
R. I heard under the altar the voices of them that were slain, saying:
* How long dost Thou not avenge our blood? And it was said unto them from God: Rest yet for a little season, until the number of your brethren be fulfilled.
V. I saw under the altar of God the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held, and they cried with a loud voice, saying:
R. How long dost Thou not avenge our blood? And it was said unto them from God: Rest yet for a little season, until the number of your brethren be fulfilled.

[Lectio3]
!Jer 31:21-23
21 Set thee up a watchtower, make to thee bitterness: direct thy heart into the right way, wherein thou hast walked: return, O virgin of Israel, return to these thy cities.
22 How long wilt thou be dissolute in deliciousness, O wandering daughter? for the Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth: A woman shall compass a man.
23 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: As yet shall they say this word in the land of Juda, and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring back their captivity: The Lord bless thee, the beauty of justice, the holy mountain.

[Responsory3]
R. They worshipped Him That liveth for ever and ever.
* And cast their crowns before the throne of the Lord their God.
V. And they fell down upon their faces before the throne, and blessed Him That liveth for ever and ever.
R. And cast their crowns before the throne of the Lord their God.
&Gloria
R. And cast their crowns before the throne of the Lord their God.

[Lectio4]
From the Sermons of St. Augustine, Bishop (of Hippo)
!10th on the Saints
Dearly beloved brethren, today we keep the birthday of those children, who, as we are informed by the Gospel, were massacred by the savage King Herod. Therefore let earth rejoice with exceeding joy, for she is the mother of these heavenly soldiers, and of this numerous host. The love of the vile Herod could never have crowned these blessed ones as hath his hatred. For the Church testifieth by this holy solemnity, that whereas iniquity did specially abound against these little saints, so much the more were heavenly blessings poured out upon them.

[Responsory4]
R. The blood of thy saints have they shed like water round about Jerusalem.
* And there was none to bury them.
V. The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the air, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.
R. And there was none to bury them.

[Lectio5]
Blessed art thou, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, which hast suffered the cruelty of King Herod in the slaughter of thy children; who art found worthy to offer at once to God a whole white-robed army of guileless martyrs! Surely, it is well to keep their birthday, even that blessed birthday which gave them from earth to heaven, more blessed than the day that brought them out of their mother's womb. Scarcely had they entered on the life that now is, when they obtained that glorious life which is to come.

[Responsory5]
R. These holy ones suffered for thy sake, O Lord take vengeance for them.
* For day by day they cry unto thee.
V. Avenge, O Lord, the blood of thy saints which is shed.
R. For day by day they cry unto thee.

[Lectio6]
We praise the death of other martyrs because it was the crowning act of an undaunted and persistent testimony; but these were crowned at once. He That maketh an end to this present life, gave to them at its very gates that eternal blessedness which we hope for at its close. They whom the wickedness of Herod tore from their mothers' breasts are rightfully called the flowers of martyrdom; hardly had these buds of the Church shown their heads above the soil, in the winter of unbelief, when the frost of persecution nipped them.

[Responsory6]
R. These are they which have not defiled their garments.
* They shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
V. These are they which were not defiled with women for they are virgins.
R. They shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
&Gloria
R. They shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

[Ant Matutinum 11]
These are they * which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.;;33

[Lectio7]
From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
!Matt 2:13-18
At that time, an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. And so on.
_
Homily by St. Jerome, Priest (at Bethlehem)
!Book I Comment, on Matth. II
He took the young Child, and His mother, and fled into Egypt, by night and in darkness; and the darkness of that night was a figure of the darkness of ignorance in which they left the unbelievers from whom they fled. But when they returned into Judaea, we learn not from the Gospel that it was by night, or in darkness; which is an image of that light which will lighten the Jews, when, at the end of the world, they shall receive back the faith, which now lighteneth the Gentiles, even as Judaea received Christ returning from Egypt.

[Responsory7]
R. The saints sung a new song before the throne of God and the Lamb.
* And their voices were echoed on earth.
V. These were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God, and to the Lamb, and in their mouth was found no guile.
R. And their voices were echoed on earth.

[Lectio8]
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying Out of Egypt have I called My Son. Those who go about to deny the authority of the Hebrew Scriptures, ask where any such passage is to be found in the Septuagint. But, although they find it not there, I tell them that the fact of its being written in the Prophet Hosea (xi. i) can be proved by the texts which I have lately published.

[Responsory8]
R. I saw under the Altar of God the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, which they held, and they cried with a loud voice
* Avenge, O Lord, the blood of thy saints, which is shed.
V. Under the throne of God all the saints cry aloud
R. Avenge, O Lord, the blood of thy saints, which is shed.

[Lectio9]
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the Prophet, saying; In Rama was there a voice heard, weeping and great mourning; Rachel weeping for her children. The child of Rachel was Benjamin, and Bethlehem is not a town belonging to his tribe. We must therefore seek another reason why Rachel should weep for the children of Judah, to whom Bethlehem belongeth, as for her own. The plain answer is that she is buried at Ephrath close to Bethlehem, and she is called Mother on account of the resting-place of her earthly tabernacle being there. It is possible also that she is called Mother because the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were joined together, and Herod slew not only all the children that were in Bethlehem, but also in all the coasts thereof.

[Responsory9]
R. What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And he said to me:
* These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.
V. I saw under the Altar of God the souls of them which were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.
R. These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.
&Gloria
R. These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.

[Ant Laudes]
Herod was exceeding wroth, * and slew many children in Bethlehem of Judah, the city of David.
Herod slew many children * from two years old, and under, for the Lord's sake.
Their angels * do always behold the face of the Father.
In Rama was there a voice * heard, weeping and mourning, Rachel weeping for her children.
Under the throne of God * all the saints cry aloud: Avenge our blood, O our God!

[Capitulum Laudes]
!Rev 14:1
v. Lo, a lamb stood upon mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty-four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads.
$Deo gratias

[Hymnus Laudes]
v. All hail, ye little Martyr flowers,
Sweet rosebuds cut in dawning hours!
When Herod sought the Christ to find
Ye fell as bloom before the wind.
_
First victims of the Martyr bands,
With crowns and palms in tender hands,
Around the very altar, gay
And innocent, ye seem to play.
_
All honor, laud, and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born to thee;
All glory, as is ever meet
To Father and to Paraclete.
Amen.

[Lectio Prima]
!Rev 14:4-5
v. These were purchased from among men, the firstfruits to God and to the Lamb: And in their mouth there was found no lie; for they are without spot before the throne of God.

[Capitulum Tertia]
!Rev 14:1
v. Lo, a lamb stood upon mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty-four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads.
$Deo gratias

[Capitulum Sexta]
!Rev 14:4
v. These are they who were not defiled with women: for they are virgins. These follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.
$Deo gratias

[Versum 3]
V. From beneath the throne of God all the saints cry out.
R. Avenge thou our blood, O our God.

[Ant 3]
Innocent babies * were slain for Christ, sucklings were killed by a wicked king. Now they follow the Lamb without spot and cry without ceasing, Glory be to thee, O Lord.

[Octava 2]
!Commemoration of the Octave of Holy Innocents
Ant. These are they * who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins, and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.
_
V. Herod being wroth, slew many children.
R. In Bethlehem of Juda, the city of David.
_
$Oremus
O God, whose praise the martyred Innocents on this day confessed, not by speaking, but by dying, destroy all the evils of sin in us, that our life also may proclaim in deeds, thy faith which our tongues profess.
$Per Dominum

[Octava 3]
!Commemoration of the Octave of Holy Innocents
Ant. These are they * who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins, and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.
_
V. Herod being wroth, slew many children.
R. In Bethlehem of Juda, the city of David.
_
$Oremus
O God, whose praise the martyred Innocents on this day confessed, not by speaking, but by dying, destroy all the evils of sin in us, that our life also may proclaim in deeds, thy faith which our tongues profess.
$Per Dominum