Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs
To the boys murdered in Bethlehem and the surrounding area ("Massacre of the Innocents") on the orders of King Herod the Great, called the Cruel, the Fathers of the Church gave the title of Martyrs. Their commemoration dates from the I-II century after the birth of Christ. The feast of the "Innocent and Nameless Martyrs" originated in the Eastern Church at the beginning of the sixth century (Carthage, 505). Originally, the feast had a penitential character, and the liturgy was celebrated in purple vestments. Only later it begins to be celebrated as the feast of other Martyrs.
"Herod will seek the Child to destroy Him." Selfish fear for his bribed power, for his political and social significance or for the immoderate possession of goods make the morbidly jealous and cruelly vengeful King Herod capable of even committing crimes. The history of Israel confirms that Herod the Great (73/72 BC – 4 AD Christ) – even though he built a magnificent temple in Jerusalem – was extremely greedy for power, very suspicious and, above all, cruelly vindictive. He came to the throne – in the literal sense – "after the corpses" and only through terror did he stay in power. He set himself the goal of domination, and therefore he placed himself in the total service of the Romans.
Thanks to them, as a Gentile, he received dominion over Judea with the title of king. He murdered the Jewish royal family that ruled over the nation before him (Hyrcanus II, his father-in-law; Joseph, his brother-in-law), and many others, as described in detail by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus ("The Antiquities of Israel"). These facts and many others indicate who Herod really was, and what it meant to such a despot and tyrant to kill dozens of infants.
It is difficult to come to terms with the suffering of innocent and defenseless children. It is not easy to find an answer to the question about its meaning. I am one of those people who, from childhood, "rebelled" against those who composed the liturgical calendar, especially this special and joyful season of Christmas. Why do we commemorate the martyrdom of St. Stephen the Deacon (26.12) on the second day of Christmas, and today the martyrdom of innocent children of Bethlehem? Over the years, however, I understood what the mystery of the Incarnation really means. Jesus Christ, "who by the power of the Holy Spirit took flesh from the Virgin Mary and became man", became incarnate in all the dimensions of man's "flesh", also accepting all the consequences of being in the flesh and of living himself as a bodily person except sin.
This fact of the Incarnation of the Son of God clearly indicates that in human life - from the moment of conception until natural death - there is no stage or form of being and dynamically becoming a human being (embryo - fetus - infant - child - youth or girl - adult man - old man). – a dying man) without always being a human person. Moreover, the fact of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ shows that God's only partner is man alone - created in His image and likeness; and it was this man, sometimes defenseless like a child or an ailing old man, that Jesus Christ came to save. This means that each of us as we are – young or old, healthy or sick, beautiful or ugly – has been called to holiness. The universal call to holiness of which the Second Vatican Council speaks is based not only on our rational human nature, but above all on the fact of the Incarnation and Redemption of every human being through the Son of God Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, on our beautiful planet Earth.
Redemption does not mean automatic salvation. Each of us human beings, redeemed "by the blood of Jesus, the Son of God", which "cleanses us from all sin" has a chance of salvation if we cooperate with God in the Work of Salvation. To cooperate means to be in constant dialogue with God (prayer, sacramental life) and to do good. With the latter we have the most difficulties. Christmas is an excellent time to meet the needs of others, our brothers and sisters, as God did in the person of Jesus Christ.
The Feast of the Holy Innocent Martyrs is also an excellent occasion, first of all, to reflect on the problem of suffering, hunger, abandonment of the so-called unwanted children, social orphanhood of contemporary children, especially the death of the unborn. Then to do something good and even necessary to save the lives of innocent and defenseless children. Unborn or small children do not participate in political life. They are by no means capable of threatening those in power. And yet, so many unjust authorities and laws deny them the fundamental right to life – guaranteed by so many international declarations – for every conceived human being under the heart of his mother.
Yes, we can and should pray for unborn children, participating in organized, world or national crusades of prayer for the life of conceived children (e.g., spiritual adoption of an unborn child). The memory of King Herod's murder reminds humanity of the great problem and scandal of the modern world: the disrespect and killing of human life. This fact is particularly relevant today, when in our country and before our eyes there are proposals to legalize the killing of conceived children. Each of us can do something to save the lives of innocent and defenseless children. We can write petitions to the Congress, the Senate and President. We can personally support large families, donate the proverbial dollar to the Humanitarian Action.
In conclusion, I would like to quote the words of Mother Teresa spoken in 1994: "But I think that the thing that destroys peace today is abortion, because Jesus said, 'If someone takes a little child, he receives me.' So, every abortion is a denial of accepting Jesus, a neglect of Jesus."
Until Tomorrow
fr. george