A lullaby from a grieving mother, holding her child for the last time, before Herod's soldiers arrive; followed by a reflection on this event by St. John Chrysostom.
After completing a Novena to the Holy Innocents and then finishing a Discernment retreat just after their Feast Day, I was still emotionally connected to them and a bit confused about their suffering. This article was a wonderful Bow on top of that experience.
The song moved me to tears and your article brought clarity. Thank you!
Thank you for drawing the connection between the slaughter of these children and sword endured by Mary. It makes total sense but had never occurred to me. To carry the burden of knowing that your Son's birth was the excuse for Herod's murders must have grieved her terribly.
Praise God, so glad you appreciated it. Honestly, I hadn’t really made the connection before I started writing it either! I think the Lord likes to teach me while I write, so I was as grateful as you for that connection.
I heard this song this morning in the Divine Office. It is so difficult to reconcile suffering, but we do know that suffering is efficacious in our salvation so we must not fear, but trust. Easier said than done for mortals, even holy ones.
See what you think of this version of the Coventry Carol by De Clamavi Profundis, its mournful style a cappella seems to me to fit the lyrics a lot better and I can imagine the scene a lot better, of a young mother in Bethlehem holding her tiny son one last time. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hQGh-x95Il4
After completing a Novena to the Holy Innocents and then finishing a Discernment retreat just after their Feast Day, I was still emotionally connected to them and a bit confused about their suffering. This article was a wonderful Bow on top of that experience.
The song moved me to tears and your article brought clarity. Thank you!
Thank you for drawing the connection between the slaughter of these children and sword endured by Mary. It makes total sense but had never occurred to me. To carry the burden of knowing that your Son's birth was the excuse for Herod's murders must have grieved her terribly.
Praise God, so glad you appreciated it. Honestly, I hadn’t really made the connection before I started writing it either! I think the Lord likes to teach me while I write, so I was as grateful as you for that connection.
Beautiful thank you Stuart 🙏
I heard this song this morning in the Divine Office. It is so difficult to reconcile suffering, but we do know that suffering is efficacious in our salvation so we must not fear, but trust. Easier said than done for mortals, even holy ones.
Amen, much easier said than done.
Where/how do you listen to the Divine Office that you heard it this morning? Was it a podcast?
I used the Divine Office App on my ipad. They beautifully read it aloud for free.
Awesome, thanks for the tip, I’ll check it out! I usually use the “Sing the Hours” podcast.
See what you think of this version of the Coventry Carol by De Clamavi Profundis, its mournful style a cappella seems to me to fit the lyrics a lot better and I can imagine the scene a lot better, of a young mother in Bethlehem holding her tiny son one last time. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hQGh-x95Il4
Ooo I love Clamavi de Profundis! I’ve never heard their version though, I’ll check it out. Thanks for sharing.