Devotion for today: Do You Know What I Know?

What is the message in today's carol?

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
do you know what I know
In your palace warm, mighty king,
do you know what I know
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Let us bring Him silver and gold

Said the king to the people everywhere,
listen to what I say
Pray for peace, people everywhere!
listen to what I say
The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light.

Scripture for meditation: Matthew 2:16-18

 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

 “A voice is heard in Ramah,

 weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,  because they are no more.”

Pope Benedict XVI reminds us: Each of us has a mission, each of us is called to change the world, to work for a culture of life, a culture forged by love and respect for the dignity of each human person.
- Pope Benedict XVI (London, 9/18/10)

My thoughts: The king in our Christmas Carol for today is such a good man. He hears a message from a young boy, telling him of the birth of a baby, a small shivering child worthy of gifts meant for kings. The king immediately realizes that this is Christ, the Messiah, a King even greater than he himself, and he proclaims to all the people: Pray for peace! In other words, hail your new King! He is not governed by fear for his own position or power, but by the truth. Contrast that to Herod, who has innocent children murdered for fear one of them is the Christ-child, the new-born king, someone who might take away his own power, destroy the good life he has for himself, be greater than he is. Fear leads many people to do the wrong thing. They know the truth, yet the cost of following it is too great. In our world today, we must be like the first king. Pope Benedict calls us to save life, to value it, to recognize it as the gift it is, in all its many stages and appearances. Let us promise God today that He can count on us to bring goodness and light into the world, and not darkness and death.

Prayer: Collect for the Mass of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs

O God, whom the Holy Innocents confessed and proclaimed on this day not by speaking but by dying, grant, we pray, that the faith in you which we confess with our lips may also speak through our manner of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, on God, forever and ever.

Our prayer to God:  Today let us offer all of our prayers, sacrifices and good deeds for leaders of the world, and especially of our own country, that they will be like the king in the carol, and recognize goodness, light and life as the standard by which all governing should be based; leaders who recognize that a respect for all life leads to a country where all people are safe, loved and valued by all its citizens.