5th Day of Christmas: Feast of the Holy Innocents

Today's Scripture Readings

Jeremiah 31:15-17 (NRSV)

Thus says the LORD:

A voice is heard in Ramah,

lamentation and bitter weeping.

Rachel is weeping for her children;

she refuses to be comforted for her children,

because they are no more.

Thus says the LORD:

Keep your voice from weeping,

and your eyes from tears;

for there is a reward for your work,

says the LORD:

they shall come back from the land of the enemy;

there is hope for your future,

says the LORD:

your children shall come back to their own country.

Psalm 124 (BCP., p.781).


Revelation 21:1-7 (NRSV)
 

I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

"See, the home of God is among mortals.

He will dwell with them as their God;

they will be his peoples,

and God himself will be with them;

he will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more;

mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

for the first things have passed away."

And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

Matthew 2:13-17 (NRSV)

When the wise men had departed, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."

When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

"A voice was heard in Ramah,

wailing and loud lamentation,

Rachel weeping for her children;

she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."

Blog Reflection

If you are reading this blog post today, and you are someone who has ever wondered what in the world is so great about this Christianity thing; this Feast is just for you.

If you feel like you have been a good believer in God, and you just do not understand why there is still so much violence, anger, hate and oppression in the world; this Feast day is for you.

If you are someone who had an experience during the Christmas holiday in which your heart was smashed by someone or some thing that happened; this is your day.

If you have been looking for a day on the calendar of the Church, in which political maneuvering happened by a powerful leader, and it seemed like God did nothing to stop it; The Feast of the Holy Innocents is just what you need.

If the Feast of St. Stephen was the spoiler to Christmas Day, then today's commemoration of the Holy Innocents is the double spoiler.

The reality of Jesus' birth, was that He was born into our world of political maneuvering, horror, injustice and brutality that affects us all.  Such a concept is so difficult for us to digest.  We want a Savior who will put an end to all of those things.   All of those prophesies of the coming of a Savior who would be like a mighty warrior and finally bring the kind of justice we are looking for; they just do not appear to be true.

As difficult as it can be for us to grasp, Jesus did not come to end all human suffering.  Jesus came as God's perfect revelation of God's Self to walk with us through all the suffering, so that we would know that we do not deal with it alone.  Jesus came so that we would know that whatever evil may occur in our own lives, communities, nation and world; God is there weeping with us and seeks to console us, so that we may become a healing and transforming people.

At the same time, Christians can and have provoked similar acts of violence with the absurd notion that God condones it.  This Feast Day is transferred from December 28th, which is also the date of the Wounded Knee Massacre.   On that horrible day, Americans guided by a so called Christian ideal that "not all people are created equal in God's eye " committed our own version of the Holy Innocents. We also have in our history the ongoing violence to individuals of different races, genders, gender identities/expressions, sexual orientations, languages, immigration statuses, disabilities, behaviors and more.  We continue to justify things such as taking away funding for food stamps, unemployment insurance, reproductive health care choices for women and worker's rights.  We want people to "rely on God and not the government" in a Nation that boasts of a government "of the people, for the people and by the people."  Yet, a majority of "people" want the ability to decide on the well being and prosperity of people who are wealthy and powerful, over the weak, the lonely, the destitute and the marginalized.   How, then, are we really different from Herod?

On this Feast of the Holy Innocents, may we reflect on the goodness of God to each one of us.  But, let us also ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so that we may do our part to affect change for the good all of God's children.

Amen.


Prayers

We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy
innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive, we pray,
into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims; and by your
great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish
your rule of justice, love, and peace; through Jesus Christ
our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the
Holy Spirit,, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (Collect for The Holy Innocents, The Book of Common Prayer., p.238).

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of
your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our
hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (Collect for the First Sunday after Christmas.  The Book of Common Prayer., p. 213).

Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us
grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace
with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom,
help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our
communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy
Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for Social Justice. The Book of Common Prayer., p.260).