The lesson for the Holy Innocence comes from Apocalypse chapter 14.

Then I looked and behold on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his father's name written on their foreheads.

And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder.

The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps.

And they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders.

No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins.

It is these who follow the lamb wherever he goes.

These have been redeemed from mankind as first-fruits for God and the lamb,

and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.

Continuation of the Holy Gospel, according to St. Matthew.

Now, when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and

said, rise, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell

you.

For Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him.

And he rose and took the child and his

mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.

This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet,

Out of Egypt I called my son.

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by wise men, became furious, and

he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were

two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was

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