Saint of the Day
The Holy Innocents
The Holy Innocents are the male children of Bethlehem, two years old and under, killed on the orders of King Herod the Great in his attempt to eliminate the newborn "King of the Jews." The church venerates them as the first martyrs — those who died for Christ without knowing it. Their feast day, three days after Christmas, is a sobering reminder that the Prince of Peace was born into a world of violence, and that innocents have always suffered at the hands of power threatened by love.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 2:16-18
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "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."
Reflection
The Feast of the Holy Innocents forces us to hold joy and grief together. The Christmas story has always contained this shadow: a king threatened by a baby, and innocent children dying as a result. The church refuses to sanitize this. Christ entered a world of real violence, real grief, real loss — and ultimately, his death and resurrection would be the answer to every Rachel weeping for her children.
Prayer for Today
Lord, the Bible says You are close to the brokenhearted and [You rescue] those whose spirits are crushed (Psalm 34:18, NLT). Draw close to me and rescue me. Help me not to grieve like those who haven't discovered Your kindness and mercy, who have no hope (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13); lift me up and give me hope once more. Help me to believe that tomorrow will be better, and the next day will be easier, and that a day will come when I will feel a surge of energy and expectation for what You are doing and where You will take me. Amen.
Amen.