Tuesday, December 28, 2021

 Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

(I John 1:5-2:2; Matthew 2:13-18)

The persecution of Jesus and death of the innocents form a necessary part of the gospel.  Certainly, the gospel proclaims “glad tidings.”  But the benefits come at a price to Jesus and those who surround him.  It never pretends to be mere “happy talk.”

Herod, enraged with jealousy, pursues the newborn “king of the Jews.”  Under Joseph’s protection Jesus escapes Herod’s wiles.  The infants around Bethlehem at the time will be slaughtered in his stead. Thirty years hence, however, Jesus will be harassed by other Jewish rulers.  They will succeed in having him killed.  In the end, however, Jesus overturns their schemes as well.  He rises from the dead to show his divine origin.

Like the innocents, we will suffer.  Perhaps suffering is the lot of every human.  But followers of Jesus will be persecuted as much for doing what is right as for doing what is wrong.  Nevertheless, we must follow him to the end.  Then, as surely as Jesus rose from the dead, we will find ourselves in glory.

Monday, December 28, 2020

Feast of the Holy Innocents

(I John 1:5-2:2; Matthew 2:13-18)

Faced with moral evil, we ask, “How could God permit this?”  When we saw that policeman kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, we asked “How could God permit this?”  When we hear stories of the concentration camps at Auschwitz and Dachau, we ask, “How could God permit this?”  When Mohammad Atta and other terrorists caused the horror of 9-11, we asked, “How could God permit this?”  Today’s gospel suggests an answer.

The slaughter of innocent children sounds outrageous.  There is no historical record of it except this account in Matthew.  But it is like other atrocities committed by King Herod.  The tyrant murdered several members of his family, including his wife and sons.  In any case, it has been noted why God might have permitted the slaughter of the Innocents.  First though, we must recognize that God never causes people to sin.  Sin is a human project although evil spirits may be involved.  Yet God can embrace sin to bring about His intended good.  In the story of the Innocents, their death allowed Jesus to escape the wicked king’s pursuit.  He will die thirty years later so that they might know eternal life.

The story of the martyred Innocents injects into the joy of Christmas a foreboding of the sorrow of Holy Week.  It admonishes us to temper our festivity by remembering the purpose of God becoming human.  Jesus was born to set us free from sin and death.  His dying on the cross and rising from the dead give us new purpose in life and a new destiny.

Friday, December 28, 2018

The Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

(I John 1:5-2:2; Matthew 2:13-18)

The joy of Christmas never goes unmitigated.  On December 26, Catholics celebrate the Feast of St. Stephan, the first Christian martyr.  Stephan was stoned to death as he testified to Jesus’ glorification at God’s right hand.  The undercurrent of sorrow is even more pronounced today -- two days later – when the Church remembers the Holy Innocents.  As the gospel relates, these infants were slaughtered in Herod’s maniacal obsession to eliminate rivals.

The two sobering feasts of Christmastide remind people of the purpose of this great feast.  It hardly celebrates the glory of humanity – its capacity for virtue and autonomy.  Rather Christmas brings rejoicing because God has sent His Son to redeem humans from folly.  The Christ child is born not just to teach humans God’s holy will, but more importantly to die in satisfaction for their sins.  It is like the American missionary doctor in Africa who a few years ago contracted the deadly Ebola virus while working to defeat the disease. 

Yet there is no need for us to spend these days in mourning.  As St. Stephan and the Holy Innocents shared in Christ’s redemptive death, they have also participated in his triumph over death.  We believe that they are nearer to Christ in glory than we can be at the present time.  We now join their hymn of praise to God.  We also hope to stand among them sooner or later in eternal happiness.

Thursday, December 28, 2017

The Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

(I John 1:5-2:2; Matthew 2:13-18)

Gospel analysts easily show that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke have different sources for their accounts of Jesus’ birth.  Where Matthew situates Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem well before Jesus’ birth, Luke has them journeying there from Nazareth.  Where Matthew tells of the magi coming to adore the Lord, Luke pictures shepherds.  And where Matthew writes of the Holy Family in flight to Egypt after the birth, Luke has them going up to the Temple in Jerusalem.  However, these seemingly divergent details should not provoke doubt.  In essential matters the two evangelists coincide.

First and foremost, Jesus is born to Mary, who remains a virgin, and to Joseph, who gives him a name and a lineage.  Secondly, Jesus is born in Bethlehem and then goes to live in Nazareth.  Finally and significantly, both infancy accounts include a reference to the passion that Jesus will eventually endure.  In today’s gospel the reference is more direct and ominous. The Jewish king Herod searches for the infant Jesus in order to kill him.  Jewish leaders will also conspire in the crucifixion. The oblique reference to the passion in Luke comes in the midst of Simeon’s prophecy.  He says that Jesus will be “a sign that will be contradicted.”

The Church takes up this connection between the birth and death of Jesus by celebrating the Feast of the first martyr, St. Stephen, on the day following Christmas.  In conformity to this tradition we should temper our jubilation at Christmas.  We must keep in mind that the mystery of the Incarnation is but the first step in Jesus’ complete sacrifice of himself to deliver us from sin and death. Also, the suffering of the innocent martyrs remembered today should remind us to be ready to suffer with Jesus so that we might rise with him to glory.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

(I John 1:5-2:2; Matthew 2:13-18)

In Europe you might find your car’s tires without any air today.  Or perhaps there will be three pizzas which you didn’t order, delivered to your door.  The Feast of the Holy Innocents is Europe’s equivalent to the American April Fools Day.  It is a time to play practical jokes on good-natured people.

Some may be shocked by the European frivolity on a day that memorializes the slaughter of children.  Perhaps Holy Innocents Day jokesters just take to heart the belief that the infants have gone to God.  “So why not rejoice?” they might ask.  Somehow, however, that is just too casual an attitude.  It fails to consider the grotesque injustice of the blood of children.  It mocks, for example, the outrage at a public policy which permits abortion on demand.  It begs the question, “Why be born at all?”

Catholics educated before Vatican II easily recite the answer to this last question.  We live “to know, love, and serve God in this world and to be happy with him in the next.”  The tragedy of children dying, then, is the irreversible equivalent of their minds being wasted.  Dead children cannot come to know God very well.  Yes, they should receive the beatific vision. And there might be something marvelous about seeing God through children’s eyes.  But just as the art connoisseur will appreciate aspects of a Rubens painting that completely escape the uncultured so growing in wisdom should make us more enthralled at God’s glory.  It is good to grow old if we accordingly grow in wisdom.  Reciprocally, it is a tragedy when we die young.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

(I John 1:5-2:2; Matthew 2:13-18)

The word “Holy Innocents” this year will be mostly associated with the child victims of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. The hearts of people the world over go out to their parents who like “Rachel weeping for her children” cannot be consoled “since they (are) no more.”

But because its carnage of innocent babes continues to mount, something must also be whispered about the depenalization of abortion whose anniversary will be commemorated shortly. In forty years the Supreme Court decision has led to the slaughter of around fifty million human lives in their initial formation in America. In many of these cases the parents weep in silence since they ultimately caused their own heartache.

Jesus is born to take away our tears. His law, written in the gentlest manner on our hearts, frees us from enslavement to the passion at the root of unwanted pregnancy. It is the rule of true love which undergoes sacrifice for the real good of all.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

(I John 1:5-2:2; Matthew 2:13-18)

Gospel analysts easily show that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke have different sources for their accounts of Jesus’ birth. Where Matthew situates Joseph and Mary Bethlehem well before Jesus’ birth, Luke has them journeying from Nazareth. Where Matthew tells of the magi coming to adore the Lord, Luke pictures shepherds. Where Matthew writes of the Holy Family in flight to Egypt after the birth, Luke has them going up to the Temple in Jerusalem. However, these divergent details should not provoke doubt. In essential matters the two evangelists coincide.

First and very important, Jesus is born to Mary, who remains a virgin, and to Joseph, who gives him a name and a lineage. Secondly, Jesus is born in Bethlehem but comes to live in Nazareth. Finally and significantly, both narratives of his birth include a reference to the passion that Jesus will eventually endure. In today’s gospel the reference is more direct and ominous. Herod searches for the infant Jesus in order to kill him. The oblique reference to the passion in Luke comes in the midst of Simeon’s prophecy that Jesus will be the source of the rise and fall of many in Israel and because of this a sword shall pierce his mother’s heart.

The Church takes up this connection between the birth and death of Jesus by celebrating the Feast of the first martyr, St. Stephen, on the day following Christmas. In conformity to this revelation we should temper our jubilation with the realization that the mystery of the Incarnation is but the first step in Jesus’ complete sacrifice of himself to deliver us from sin and death. Also, the suffering of the innocent martyrs remembered today should remind us of the need to suffer with Jesus so that we might rise with him to glory.

Monday, December 28, 2009

The Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

(I John 1:5-2:2; Matthew 2:13-18)

In Europe you might find your car’s tires flat today. Or perhaps there will be three unordered pizzas delivered to your door. The Feast of the Holy Innocents is Europe’s equivalent to America’s “April Fools Day.” It is prime time to play practical jokes on good-natured people.

We may be shocked by the European frivolity on a day that remembers the slaughter of children. But perhaps Holy Innocents Day jokesters just take to heart the belief that the infants have gone to God. “So why not rejoice?” they might ask. Somehow, however, that is just too casual an attitude for many of us. It does not recoil at the grotesque injustice of the blood of children. It also begs the question: why live at all?

We all may be able to recite the answer to that question. We live to know, love, and serve God in this world and to be happy with him in the next. If this is so, the tragedy of children dying is, in part, the irreversible condition of their minds being wasted. Dead children cannot come to know God very well. Yes, they should receive the beatific vision in heaven. Now there might be something marvelous about seeing God through children’s eyes. But just as the art connoisseur will appreciate aspects of a Rubens painting that completely escape the uncultured so growing in wisdom should make us more enthralled at God’s glory. It is good to grow old then if we accordingly grow in wisdom. Conversely, it is a tragedy when one dies young.

Homilette for December 28, 2007

Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

(Matthew 2:13-18)

In Europe you might find your car’s tires without any air today. Or perhaps there will be three unordered pizzas delivered to your door. The Feast of the Holy Innocents is Europe’s equivalent to the American April Fools Day. It is a time to play practical jokes on good-natured people.

We may be shocked by the European frivolity on a day that memorializes the slaughter of children. But perhaps Holy Innocents Day jokesters just take to heart the belief that the infants have gone to God. “So why not rejoice?” they might ask. Somehow, however, that is just too casual an attitude. It does not recoil at the grotesque injustice of the blood of children. It would mock, for example, the outrage at a public policy which permits abortion on demand. It also begs the question: why live at all?

All Catholics born before Vatican II should easily recite the answer to this last question. We live to know, love, and serve God in this world and to be happy with him in the next. If this is so, the tragedy of children dying is the irreversible condition of their minds being wasted. Dead children cannot come to know God very well. Yes, they should receive the beatific vision. And there might be something marvelous about seeing God through children’s eyes. But just as the art connoisseur will appreciate aspects of a Rubens painting that completely escape the uncultured so growing in wisdom should make us more enthralled at God’s glory. It is good to grow old then if we accordingly grow in wisdom. Reciprocally, it is a tragedy when one dies young.

Homilette for the Feast of the Holy Innocents, December 28

(Matthew 2)

In Europe you might find your car’s tires without any air today. Or perhaps there will be three unordered pizzas delivered to your door. The Feast of the Holy Innocents in Europe is equivalent to our April Fools Day. It is a time to play practical jokes on good-natured people.

We may be shocked by the European frivolity on a day that remembers the slaughter of children. But perhaps Holy Innocents Day jokesters just take to heart the belief that the infants have gone to God. “So why not rejoice?” they might ask. Somehow, however, that is just too casual an attitude. It does not recoil at the grotesque injustice of the blood of children. It also begs the question: why live at all?

We should be able to recite the answer to that question. We live to know, love, and serve God in this world and to be happy with him in the next. If this is so, the tragedy of children dying is the irreversible condition of their minds being wasted. Dead children cannot come to know God very well. Yes, they should receive the beatific vision in heaven. And there might be something marvelous about seeing God through children’s eyes. But just as the art connoisseur will appreciate aspects of a Rubens painting that completely escape the uncultured so growing in wisdom should make us more enthralled at God’s glory. It is good to grow old then if we accordingly grow in wisdom. Reciprocally, it is a tragedy when one dies young.