Holy and Merciful God, we stand before You in reverence, remembering the children of Bethlehem, who spoke no words, yet whose blood became a prayer
Lord, these little ones, taken from their mothers’ arms and carried into your eternal embrace, knew no fear, but knew You — Light before language
We offer them to You, God of compassion, first fruits of salvation, innocent cries against injustice, a hidden hymn before the manger
Teach us through their innocence to trust You without condition, and through their witness to know that life is not measured by length, but by love
Turn the tears of grieving mothers into hope, the pain of the earth into redemption, and let the children of Bethlehem be intercessors for all children who suffer and are forgotten
To You be glory, O Child of God, who welcomed these little martyrs and transformed their death into everlasting life
