Feast of the Holy Innocents

I'm aware that posting about feast days when they're almost over rather defeats the purpose - I do apologize, my dear patient readers.  I was so entirely absorbed in reading North and South that I forgot...  *sigh*

Since it's so late, I'll just give you a couple links and a song.  You can read about today's feast at my usual sources, if you'd like - here and here.

The relatively obscure Coventry Carol is about today's feast.  It was first used in medieval mystery plays, sung by the mothers of the children murdered by the soldiers of King Herod.  Just thinking about it makes me tear up...those poor, poor mothers.  But these innocent children, killed because of Our Lord, merit the title of the first martyrs even though they knew not what they died for.  (If you don't believe me, read the second link.)  They were rewarded in Heaven.
I'm sure I can't be the first one to have thought of this, but the Holy Innocents must be special protectors of unborn children in danger of abortion.  We could invoke their prayers for all the babies threatened by a death worse than theirs because unsanctified by martyrdom or baptism.

This is the version of the carol that I own.

Holy Innocents, pray for us and for all children, born and unborn.