Posted on 12/27/2018 10:09:42 PM PST by Salvation
St. Bernadette Soubirous
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28) "Blessed are you among women, |
Holy Innocents (also known as Childermas or Children’s Mass)
The Holy Innocents
King Herod Revisited
THE HOLY INNOCENTS Feast: December 28
Feast of the Holy Innocents - December 28 - 1928 BCP
We remember today the Holy Innocents, First Martyrs
Orthodox Feast of the Holy Innocents, December 29
December 28 - Feast of the Holy Innocents
Ending the Holocaust of the Innocents
Dec. 28 - Feast of The Holy Innocents
Feast Day: December 28
Friday, December 28
Liturgical Color: Red
Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents.
When the 3 Wise Men did not return to
Herod with information on the location of
Jesus, he had all the male children under
age 2, killed. Relics of these children are
preserved at St. Paul Outside the Walls.
December 28, 2018 (Readings on USCCB website)
O God, whom the Holy Innocents confessed and proclaimed on this day, not by speaking but by dying, grant, we pray, that the faith in your which we confess with our lips may also speak through our manner of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
» Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!
Old Calendar: The Holy Innocents
“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
During this octave of Christmas the Church celebrates the memory of the small children of the neighborhood of Bethlehem put to death by Herod. Sacrificed by a wicked monarch, these innocent lives bear witness to Christ who was persecuted from the time of His birth by a world which would not receive Him. It is Christ Himself who is at stake in this mass-murder of the children; already the choice, for or against Him, is put clearly before men. But the persecutors are powerless, for Christ came to perform a work of salvation that nothing can prevent; when He fell into the hands of His enemies at the time chosen by God it was to redeem the world by His own Blood.
Our Christmas joy is tempered today by a feeling of sadness. But the Church looks principally to the glory of the children, of these innocent victims, whom she shows us in heaven following the Lamb wherever He goes.
Feast of the Holy Innocents - Day Four
The Holy Innocents saved the Child Jesus from death by King Herod by the shedding of their own blood. The Holy Innocents are the special patrons of small children, who can please the Christ Child by being obedient and helpful to parents, and by sharing their toys and loving their siblings and playmates.
The feast of the Holy Innocents is an excellent time for parents to inaugurate the custom of blessing their children. From the Ritual comes the form which we use on solemn occasions, such as First Communion. But parents can simply sign a cross on the child's forehead with the right thumb dipped in holy water and say: May God bless you, and may He be the Guardian of your heart and mind—the Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Holy Innocents
Today, dearest brethren, we celebrate the birthday of those children who were slaughtered, as the Gospel tells us, by that exceedingly cruel king, Herod. Let the earth, therefore, rejoice and the Church exult — she, the fruitful mother of so many heavenly champions and of such glorious virtues. Never, in fact, would that impious tyrant have been able to benefit these children by the sweetest kindness as much as he has done by his hatred. For as today's feast reveals, in the measure with which malice in all its fury was poured out upon the holy children, did heaven's blessing stream down upon them.
"Blessed are you, Bethlehem in the land of Judah! You suffered the inhumanity of King Herod in the murder of your babes and thereby have become worthy to offer to the Lord a pure host of infants. In full right do we celebrate the heavenly birthday of these children whom the world caused to be born unto an eternally blessed life rather than that from their mothers' womb, for they attained the grace of everlasting life before the enjoyment of the present. The precious death of any martyr deserves high praise because of his heroic confession; the death of these children is precious in the sight of God because of the beatitude they gained so quickly. For already at the beginning of their lives they pass on. The end of the present life is for them the beginning of glory. These then, whom Herod's cruelty tore as sucklings from their mothers' bosom, are justly hailed as "infant martyr flowers"; they were the Church's first blossoms, matured by the frost of persecution during the cold winter of unbelief.
— St. Augustine
Things to Do:
The Holy Innocents, Martyrs (Feast)
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. (Matthew 2:16)
King Herod was a volatile man. Whenever rumors surfaced that someone was plotting to overthrow him, he flew into a rage and ordered the immediate execution of the conspirator—even if the rumors were untrue. Among those who suffered this fate were three of his sons and one of his ten wives. So it would not have been at all out of character for him to order the killing of a few dozen children in Bethlehem.
What was behind Herod’s anger? Why did he move so swiftly and ruthlessly against innocent children? Probably fear. When you live by the sword, as he did, you sense deep down that sooner or later, that sword will come for you. So you live under a cloud of paranoia, fear, and dread.
That’s the funny thing about fear: it often hides behind other emotions like anger, hurt, apathy, or anxiety. Sometimes we don’t even know it’s there! For example, we may overreact to a young child’s misbehavior because we’re afraid that their acting out is a sign that they will have a hard time in school. We may take offense when it’s not warranted because we have a longstanding fear of rejection. Or maybe we decide not to try to reach out to a hurting friend because we fear that if we do, we will fail.
Our fears probably won’t take us as far as Herod’s fears took him. But there are plenty of other ways fear can harm us and the people around us. More than anything else, they can convince us that there is no way out. We can feel so bound by fear that we can’t even imagine a life free of it. But it is possible. All things are possible with God.
You don’t have to be ruled by fear—especially hidden, buried fear! Take some time today to ask Jesus if there are some unacknowledged fears in your life, and then see what comes to mind. If you detect something operating under the surface, ask him to help you. You might not feel any different at first, but don’t give up—keep asking!
“Jesus, I don’t want to live in fear. Set me free from all that binds me!”
1 John 1:5–2:2
Psalm 124:2-5, 7-8
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein] (1891-1942)
Carmelite, martyr, co-patron of Europe
The Mystery of Christmas, passim (trans. Sister Josephine Rucker, SSJ, 1985)
The Holy Innocents, "the Lamb's companions": "these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes" (entrance antiphon; Rv 14:4)
We have no idea where the divine Child wishes to lead us in this life and should not ask beforehand. Only this do we know: that "for those who love God all things work together for good" (Rm 8:28). And, in addition, that the paths which the Lord directs lead out beyond this earth. "O wonderful exchange" [Christmas liturgy]! The Creator of humankind, by taking on a human body, imparts to us his divinity. God became a Child so that the human race could become children of God.
To be a child of God means to go hand-in-hand with God, to do his will, not one's own; to place all our hopes and cares into his hands and no longer be concerned about one's self or one's future. Upon this foundation rests the freedom and the joy of the child of God.
Christ is God and man and whoever wants to share his life must participate in his divine and human life. The human nature which he accepted gave him the possibility to suffer and to die… To suffer and die is the lot of every human being. But if he is a living member of the body of Christ, then his own suffering and death receive redemptive power through the divinity of the head… The star of Bethlehem shines forth in the dark night of sin. Upon the radiance that goes forth from the manger there falls the shadow of the cross. In the dark of Good Friday the light is extinguished, but it rises more brightly as the sun of grace on the morning of the resurrection. The road of the incarnate Son of God is through the cross and suffering to the splendor of the resurrection. To arrive with the Son of Man through suffering and death at this splendor of the resurrection is the road for each one of us, for all mankind.
Daily Marriage Tip for December 28, 2018:
Today’s feast day is a stark reminder of the evil in the world, even after the beautiful event of Christ’s Incarnation. Pray today for all the innocent children whose lives are threatened by abortion, abuse, or violence.
Matthew 2:13-18
When the magi had departed, behold, the 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.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed for Egypt, and stayed there until the death of Herod, so that what he had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 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 that he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through the prophet Jeremiah: “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.”
Introductory Prayer: Father, I come into your holy presence this day aware that you guide my life with love. I believe that nothing happens to me unless you will it. I renew my faith in your promise of heaven, where every tear will be wiped away. Thank you for getting involved in our cruel world in order to heal it with your love.
Petition: Lord, may my presence today be a help to those in need.
1. Angels: We want to cry with these women who have had their children stolen from them in the most defenseless time of their lives. Human cruelty reaches so deep that it desires to maintain power by snuffing out the lives of others! Yet these children silently remind us of another reality. They remind us that there is a place where tyranny does not reign. There is a King who rules by love and whose kingdom cannot be defeated by cruelty. These children are messengers of that kingdom. They have been called to give a brief but powerful witness of the fight that this King will wage for love. They have gone ahead of him, and their mothers will find them and hold them forever one day in the presence of their King.
2. Prophets: Thy Kingdom Come! This is the cry of these children. One day this new King will reign, but it will happen through a terrible fight with death and cruelty. These children are powerful prophets of the struggle of this King. They are prophets of the drama of human history where everything is at stake. Their cries are powerful prayers that will be heard by the Father, and their cries begin to stir in that special Child the desire to give his life as a ransom for souls. He will reign by pouring out his life as a gift for these children and for many souls.
3. Children: The Church has declared these children martyrs. The first saints of Christ are infants. Infants speak to us at Christmas, and their witness does not go unnoticed. These children inspire the Church and pray for her. A child speaks to us of goodness and innocence. A child reminds us of the attitude we should have before God. Christ always lives with a heart of a child, a heart that trusts completely in his Father. He shows special predilection for children. He knows that often they are his most powerful apostles, inviting others to God’s house by the simplicity and intimacy of their love for him. How many parents have been converted or discovered a deeper relationship with Christ through the example of their children!
Conversation with Christ: Jesus, it saddens me so much to see how these children were taken from their mothers and killed. It tears my heart apart to see how today so many children are never given the chance to know their mother’s love because of the evil of abortion. I want to be a consolation to your heart, Lord. I want to give the very best of myself to you today in order to offer you some of the love that these children wanted to give. Let my life be a witness of unselfish love. Let me be like you.
Resolution: I will find some way of encouraging a mother of a young child
The Coventry Carol
16th C England
Lullay, Thou little tiny Child
By, by, lully, lullay
Lullay, Thou little tiny Child
By, by, lully, lullay
O sisters too, how may we do
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling for whom we sing
By, by, lully, lullay
Herod the king, in his raging
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own sight
All young children to slay
That woe is me, poor Child for Thee
And ever morn and day
For thy parting neither say nor sing
By, by, lully, lullay
Language: English | Espanol
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