Word to the Wise
Monday, December 28, 2009 - The Holy Innocents
[1 John 1:5 - 2:2 and Matthew 2:13-18]"Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." [Matthew]
In the midst of joy, violence rears its ugly head. Matthew's "mini-gospel" no sooner sends the Magi on their way than Joseph has another dream angel tell him to flee to Egypt with the infant, Jesus, and his mother. Herod would be trying to destroy the child. Since Matthew is anxious throughout the larger gospel to show Jesus as a new Moses and the fulfillment of the prophecies in the Old Testament, there are considerable elements of Old Testament figures in the mini-gospel. Joseph is portrayed as one who has powerful dreams (just like the Joseph in Genesis, who was sold into Egypt) and Herod appears like Pharoah in the story of Moses (Exodus) who escapes a wholesale death verdict. All of this violence against completely innocent children prefigures the death of Jesus who would be completely innocent. In our own time, the feast of the Holy Innocents takes on an expanded meaning in reminding us of the violence that is committed against children everywhere on a daily basis. This violence may be in the form of abortion or sexual and emotional abuse or poverty or homelessness - the forms are many. Christian faith can never condone violence of any kind, especially against children. Today's liturgical celebration can serve the important purpose of motivating us all to workto eliminate the abortion mentality and all other forms of violence against children wherever it occurs. AMEN
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