The First Martyrs for Christ | The Holy Innocents (Dec 28)

About This Prayer

The Feast of the Holy Innocents commemorates the youngest martyrs of the Church — the innocent children slain by King Herod in his attempt to destroy the newborn King of Kings. Though these children never spoke the name of Jesus, the Church honors them as martyrs because they died in His place. Their innocent blood became a testimony to the cruelty of sin and the cost of Christ’s coming into the world. This feast reminds us that from the very beginning, the light of Christ confronted darkness — and that evil often lashes out when it senses its defeat. Yet God transforms even the greatest injustice into redemption. The Holy Innocents stand as a powerful reminder of the sacred dignity of every human life and of God’s promise that no suffering is ever wasted in His plan of salvation. Holy Innocents, pray for us.