FRIENDS and SERVANTS of the WORD
Thursday, December 28, 2017 OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS
HOLY INNOCENTS - MARTYRS
WORD of the DAY
When they 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. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord 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 he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:“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”. (Mt 2: 13-18)
How shall I live this Word?
Today, a small group of children crown Baby Jesus. They were the babies of Bethlehem and the surrounding areas that Herod had killed, and described by Matthew as a furious homicide that acts with the violent power of hatred and evil against a group of innocent babies, massacred by the despot’s thirst for power.
Herod wants to save his absolute power at any cost and is ready to do anything, even perpetrate a horrendous massacre of innocent babies. This causes tears, suffering, terrible cries in the area of Judea: “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”.
Unfortunately, this Gospel passage did not remain a thing of the past, but has traversed the centuries and has reached even our present time with greater horrors. Even in the third millennium in many parts of the world, the massacre of ‘little innocents’ continues to impose itself tragically. There is a mad extermination of babies today, killed by hunger, sickness, and many of them are subjected to violence and exploitation. There is an immense crowd of new innocent martyrs today.
This massacre of innocent babies is a terrible wound of our modern world. There is need for the men and women of our time to become more aware and unite their strength to oppose this intolerable scandal!
I close with the picturesque image of these innocent Martyrs, compared to a rose bush budding that a hurricane hits and takes away.
The Voice of Aurelio Prudenzio Clement, Ancient Latin Poet
Hail, O candid flowers of the martyrs, who on the threshold of life, the persecutor’s rage swept away the budding roses like a whirlwind.
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Institute of Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Via dell’Ateneo Salesiano 81, 00139 Rome, Italy
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Blog: livingscripture.wordpress.com
Comment by Fr. Ferdinando Bergamelli, SDB