Jack Rakosky continues the Childermas Lessons begun in January's In the Vineyard. What follows is an adaptation of the Third Lesson section of the Service of Nine Lessons for Childermas.

A BRIEF LENTEN SERVICE OF LAMENTATION FOR CHILDREN
by Jack Rakosky

READING FROM THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW (2:7-21).
God saves the child Jesus from the slaughter ordered by Herod.

As Raymond Brown points out in The Death of the Messiah (Volume II, page 1301-1303) Matthew has a parallel ABABA literary structure in both his birth account (Matthew 1:1 -2:23) and the burial account (Matthew 27:57 -28:20). The attempts of Herod to thwart the birth of the Messiah are paralleled by the attempts of the chief priests and the guards to thwart the resurrection of the Messiah.

LAMENTATION FOR THE DEATH OF INNOCENCE
A Paraphrase of Jeremiah and the Book of Lamentations

Building upon Brown's insight, this composition views the suffering and death of the innocent children in the context of the suffering and death of the innocent Jesus by paraphrasing the weeping over them by Rachel from the book of Jeremiah (referenced in Matthew) and the weeping of the Daughters of Jerusalem in Book of Lamentations (as referenced by Luke).

Response (Paraphrase of Jeremiah 9:1, 17, 18) Oh, that my mind would become a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I could weep day and night for the children of my people. Call for the wailing women to come; send for the most skillful mourners! Let them wail on behalf of us so that our eyes will overflow with tears and water will come down like streams from our eyelids.

Verse (Paraphrase of Lamentations 2: 10-11). The leaders of the Holy Temple sit on the ground in silence; they have anointed their heads with dust and put on sackcloth. The daughters of Jerusalem have bowed their heads in shame. Their eyes are worn out from weeping, their spirits are in torment. Their hearts are poured out on the ground because our children have been destroyed, because children and infants lie despoiled in the streets of our city. Response

Verse (Paraphrase of Lamentations 2: 12-13). The children say to their mothers, "Where are the good things of life?" They are faint like the Wounded Man in the streets of the Holy City. Their lives ebb away in their mothers' arms. Has there ever been such sorrow? To what can I compare your anguish, O Daughter of Jerusalem? How may we comfort you, O Virgin Daughter of Zion? Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you? Response

Verse (Paraphrase of Lamentations 2: 18-19) The hearts of the people cry out to God. From the Holy Temple tears flow like a river day and night. Give yourself no relief; your eyes no rest. Arise, O People of God, cry out in the night. As each vigil begins, pour out your heart like water in the presence of our God. Lift up your hands in prayer for the lives of your children. Response

Verse (Paraphrase of Jeremiah 9: 19-21) The sound of wailing is heard from the Holy Temple: "Disaster has come upon us! How great is our shame! We must abandon our places. The Temple lies in ruins." Now, O People of God, hear God's word. Open your ears to the words of the prophets. Teach your children the need to wail; teach one another how to lament. Death has climbed in through our windows and has entered our houses and our holy places. It has killed the flower of our youth; it has bound the Wounded Man and led Him away from the public square. Response

PRAYER FOR THE GRACE OF LAMENTATION

Gracious God, give us the gift of tears for the stolen lives of children!
Let us weep for those who have been exploited for the labor of their bodies
Let us weep for those who have been exploited for sexual purposes

Gracious God, give us the gift of tears for the scarred lives of children!
Let us weep for those who have been physically abused
Let us weep for those who have been emotionally abused
Let us weep for those who have been sexually abused

Gracious God, give us the gift of tears for the wounded lives of children!
Let us weep for those who have died early and untimely deaths
Let us weep for those whose lives have been disfigured
Let us weep for those whose childhood has been stolen

Gracious God, give us the gift of tears for the injured lives of children!

Note: this service is an adaptation for Lent of the Third Reading from the author's A Service of Nine Lessons for Childermas. See the January Vineyard for an overview.

A member suggested saying the following prayer each noontime during Lent - creating a virtual prayer gathering. It was written by National Prayerful Voice:

Jesus, Lord and Brother, help us with our faithfulness. Please hear our
voice, and let our voice be heard. Amen.

Let us pray also for our brothers who are bishops that this time of
prayer and reflection may be one of serious grace for them and for us.

I ask this as I ask all things in the name of Jesus.

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