Today is the
Feast of the Holy Innocents, who truly were the first martyrs of the Christian
era. We remember all those innocent baby
boys, two years old and younger who were brutally ripped from their mother’s
arms and killed. King Herod,
power-driven and jealous man that he was, issued his malicious order upon
learning that the magi wouldn’t tell him of the whereabouts of the newborn
king. (Matthew 2:13-18)
As the year
2020 comes to an end, it’s a time when we can recount how our lives have been
forever changed between the natural disasters, wars, divisions, brutality,
violence, and the continuing pandemic.
Times of distress, anxiety, hopelessness, physical, emotional, and
spiritual pain have colored our daily lives.
This feast of the Holy Innocents serves to remind us of the pain and
suffering experienced by the families of all the murdered children. Our own pain makes their pain more real to us
than in other years.
On the other
hand, even though we have and continue to experience a sense of despair and
frustration at times, all is not lost!
This is the Christmas season. We
just celebrated the birth of Jesus, the Messiah and Lord a few short days
ago! We’re reminded that our God is a
God of light, a merciful God, who’s ready to forgive our sins and continues to
be the light that guides us no matter how dark things seem to be. This is GOOD NEWS! (1 John 1:5-2:2)
God calls us to be faithful and trust in the beautiful hope that the incarnation brings to each one of us! We’re called to follow the light of Christ that never grows dim. We’re called to be that light to others who suffer in our families, communities, and world. May we live into the mystery and hope of that first Christmas and continue to spread the message of joy we feel during this holy and happy season.
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