Feast of the Holy Innocents
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: “A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.
The question we need to ask today is: Who are the holy innocents today? We can look at what Herod did as violent and barbaric. But history has not changed.
Wherever sin and death enter into the world innocents are martyred. Every generation over the course of history has its list of innocents. Every culture has determined ways to eliminate their undesired children. We just become cleverer as to how we couch our response. We develop clever slogans to hide our true responsibility. And to imply that we have done nothing wrong we claim we are free to do what we want. Without thinking of how that impacts others. Our culture today is fraught with all kinds of examples. Some just as barbaric as what Herod did. Look at the verse from the first letter of St. John:
If we say, “We are without sin,”
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just
and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.
If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar,
and his word is not in us.
If we say? I wonder if we already do not live our lives as if we think there is no sin?
There is forgiveness if we choose to seek it.
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father and if the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen