LEFT BEHIND...



RACHEL'S TOMB
in old Bethlehem
Rachel... still weeping for her children
because they are not.

 LEFT BEHIND...

From Cradle to Cross

HE+ suffered loss in lowest garb allowed,

HE+ wrapped HIMSELF+

in Swaddling Clothes

and then, in human Shroud.

.

From rented manger

to borrowed Tomb

HE+ had not where

His+ Head to lay.

HE+ owned no Colt nor Room,

it seems,

though Temple tax ,

exacted,

paid. 

Fleeing sword 'ere HE+ could walk,

Egypt hid the Royal BABE+

from death by HIS+ own nation

at His+ birth

with Wise Men's laud and adoration.

Glory LEFT BEHIND, 

not grasped,

for us HE+ emptied Himself+

for FATHER'S Will

and by Obedience 

forged a path for us to trod BEHIND HIM+ still. 

By imitation of HIS+ loss

we accept the limitations

HE+ sets upon our brow

that we might come before Our FATHER,

embracing HIS+ Salvation

now.

 

Meditation Poem by Sr. Judith Hannah + ,

Order of the GOOD SHEPHERD+

Year of Our LORD,

1.14.2016 

The WORD+ Incarnate.... 5th Day of Christmastide

GOD is not the God of the dead

but of the living;

for to HIM+

all are alive.

O Come, let us adore HIM+ !

PLEASE NOTE: December 28th on the Christian Calendar is the Remembrance of the Death of the Holy Innocents, the little ones whom Herod put to death in his attempt to slay the Holy CHILD+ JESUS. We will commemorate that today.

From Matthew 2, starting with verse 13:

The angel of the LORD appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young CHILD+ and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young CHILD+ to destroy HIM+.

When he arose, he took the young CHILD+ and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: was was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was sppoken of the LORD by the prophet , saying, Out of Egypt hve I called My SON+. 

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently equired of the wise men. 

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children , and would not be comforted, because they are not. 

Meditation

(Collect  for the Death of the Holy Innocents ) 

O ALMIGHTY GOD, Who out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast ordained strength, and madest infants to glorify THEE by their innocence in death; 

We praise THEE for taking unto Thyself those little lives, the babes killed by Thine enemies, and to comfort them with Thy glory.

O Great Comforter of the Sorrowing, 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. 

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