On The Eleventh day of Christmas, My true Love Gave to Me.....

.....The Coventry Carol.
Unlike most Christmas carols, this is a mournful one. It speaks of the sorrows of the Christmas season. When Herod, fearing the birth of another king, sent and slaughtered all the male children in Bethlehem. Now perhaps if Herod had known a little more about this king, he may have known that it would do absolutely no good as we know now. Nevertheless. It did fulfill a prophesy from Isaiah, "A voice was heard in Rahmah, of weeping and great lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be comforted because they were no more."
  When we think of Christ coming to earth let us also remember what He came to earth to do. To become sin! To take on all the guilt of sin as heinous as Herod's horrifying massacre. Let us remember that no sin is too great that God's grace cannot cover it. Let us remember that though Herod would generally be considered more wicked than you or I for the executing of those innocent lives, apart from the Grace of Christ and His redemption of Mankind, ALL of us would be just as bad and perhaps commit crimes much more horrific.
Finally as we hear this song, let us pray for those who even now are killing millions of innocent lives behind a curtain of lies and thank God for coming to earth to save just such people.
    Enjoy this moving fifteenth century song; sorrowful yet beautiful.
                                        

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,

Bye, bye, lully, lullay.

Lullay, thou little tiny Child,

Bye, bye, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do,

For to preserve this day

This poor youngling for whom we do sing

Bye, bye, lully, lullay.

Herod, the king, in his raging,

Charged he hath this day

His men of might, in his own sight,

All young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!

And ever mourn and sigh,

For thy parting neither say nor sing,

Bye, bye, lully, lullay.