December 28 + The Holy Innocents

The Massacre of the Innocents is the biblical account of infanticide by King Herod, the Roman-appointed King of the Jews. According to the Gospel of St. Matthew, Herod ordered the execution of all young male children in the vicinity of Bethlehem, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a newborn King of the Jews whose birth had been announced to him by the Magi.

We can only imagine the grief that would have filled the town of Bethlehem and its vicinity as the soldiers went through killing those innocent children as their parents watched helplessly. Though this was an unspeakable act of evil, from the perspective of eternity, it will be sorted out by God. In Heaven and forevermore, these innocent victims will wear the martyr’s crown and will be honored by the angels and saints as the first witnesses to the newborn King. Though this may not have eased the pain at the time, it will certainly transform the pain those families felt as they enter into the justice of Heaven.

Their witness reveals to us much about our own lives. It reveals that there are many times in life when things are simply not fair and not just. The massacre of these innocent children is a powerful reminder of this fact. But one thing we must hold on to is that God will right every wrong in the end. Today, we celebrate a solemn feast in the honor of these children as a way of saying that God has transformed this tragedy into something glorious.

The same is true with each one of us. Whatever your tragedy may be, know that the Son of God entered our world, taking on our fallen human nature, so that He could make all things right.

Reflect, today, upon that which is most painful for you this Christmas season. Whatever it may be, you are invited to unite your hurt and pain today with the sorrow of the families who lost these little ones. Let God do for you what He ultimately did for all of them. Let His incarnation, death and resurrection transform your hurt into a crown of martyrdom. In the end, the Lord will be victorious in your life if you let Him.