Word to the Wise
Saturday, December 28, 2013 - Dec. 28 - Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs
[1 John 1:5-2:2 and Matt 2:13-18]....[T]he angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "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."
The "good news" that greeted the Magi triggered the bad news of Herod's paranoia! He had already killed several members of his own family when he felt threatened by them. His anger at the Magi and that paranoia about a "newborn King of the Jews" lead to an order to destroy infant males two years old or under in Bethlehem. There are no other sources for this story, but given Herod's character and the desire of the evangelist Matthew to show how Jesus' story was similar to Moses' story [Exodus 1:15-16], it is plausible. We should bear in mind the bigger picture of Jesus' eventual death at the hands of authorities who felt themselves threatened by his "kingdom!"
The sadness of this story is reflected in this season by the deaths of so many in the religious and sectarian violence in the Middle East and Africa. As always, the children are suffering because of the fears and greeds of adults who are battling for power. The "Holy Innocents" are a reminder, too, of the terrible toll of abortion and child abuse in our own land. Anything anyone can do to help a suffering child is a great act. What can our faith motivate us to do in this regard? AMEN