20211228 JESUS THE HOLY INNOCENT
28 December, 2021, Tuesday, The Holy Innocents, Martyrs
First reading | 1 John 1:5-2:2 © |
The blood of Jesus Christ purifies us all from sin
This is what we have heard from Jesus Christ,
and the message that we are announcing to you:
God is light; there is no darkness in him at all.
If we say that we are in union with God
while we are living in darkness,
we are lying because we are not living the truth.
But if we live our lives in the light,
as he is in the light,
we are in union with one another,
and the blood of Jesus, his Son,
purifies us from all sin.
If we say we have no sin in us,
we are deceiving ourselves
and refusing to admit the truth;
but if we acknowledge our sins,
then God who is faithful and just
will forgive our sins and purify us
from everything that is wrong.
To say that we have never sinned
is to call God a liar
and to show that his word is not in us.
I am writing this, my children,
to stop you sinning;
but if anyone should sin,
we have our advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ, who is just;
he is the sacrifice that takes our sins away,
and not only ours,
but the whole world’s.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 123(124):2-5,7-8 © |
Our life, like a bird, has escaped from the snare of the fowler.
If the Lord had not been on our side
when men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive
when their anger was kindled.
Our life, like a bird, has escaped from the snare of the fowler.
Then would the waters have engulfed us,
the torrent gone over us;
over our head would have swept
the raging waters.
Our life, like a bird, has escaped from the snare of the fowler.
Indeed the snare has been broken
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Our life, like a bird, has escaped from the snare of the fowler.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Te Deum |
Alleluia, alleluia!
We praise you, O God,
we acknowledge you to be the Lord;
the noble army of martyrs praise you, O Lord.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 2:13-18 © |
The massacre of the innocents
After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:
I called my son out of Egypt.
Herod was furious when he realised that he had been outwitted by the wise men, and in Bethlehem and its surrounding district he had all the male children killed who were two years old or under, reckoning by the date he had been careful to ask the wise men. It was then that the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah were fulfilled:
A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loudly lamenting:
it was Rachel weeping for her children,
refusing to be comforted because they were no more.
JESUS THE HOLY INNOCENT
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 John 1:5-2:2; Ps 124:2-5,7-8; Matthew 2:13-18]
Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Innocents. This feast follows that of the feasts of St Stephen the first martyr who imitated Christ in His death, and St John who loved like Christ unto death. Today, the feast of the Holy Innocents celebrates those who were innocently and unjustly put to death, especially on account of their explicit or implicit faith in Christ. This is the intention of narrating the story of King Herod killing the male children under two years old because of his insecurity over the threat that Jesus, the infant king of the Jews, posed to him.
Although there are no historical records of such an event taking place, King Herod was nevertheless known to be a cruel tyrant who would kill anyone who was a threat to his crown or popularity. Historical records show the atrocities committed by Herod. He killed his young brother-in-law because he was becoming too popular. He had two of his sons who were plotting against him strangled, and just a few days before his death, he even killed his treacherous son. So although there were no historical records of the massacre, the murder of the children, perhaps around twenty of them, in that small village at that time is plausible as it befits his insecure character.
But what is even more abominable is when rulers and those in power unjustly persecute, torture and even kill innocent people. There are many Herods in our midst. The Feast of the Holy Innocent brings to mind the many innocent people who though may not be “holy”, have suffered because of political persecution, religious suppression or ethnic discrimination. In many countries in the world, political opponents have been unjustly arrested, charged and even executed by despots. There are those who are persecuted because of their religious beliefs when the state is hostile towards all religions or a particular religion. Often, they are accused of treason or disloyalty to the state. The question of racial discrimination still exists in many parts of the world, even in so-called highly democratic countries. Blacks, Africans and Asians are considered second class citizens by some in the Western world. But even among tribes, there are persecutions and suppression as well.
Of course, when we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents, we often associate it with the killing of unborn babies. Those who killed their unborn babies participate in the crime of King Herod. Why do women go for abortion? Because it was an unwanted baby and it would cause inconvenience to the mother or father if carried to full term. This could be due to financial instability, or the couple is too young, or sometimes because the baby is deemed to have some physical or mental defects. There are many reasons why babies are aborted or embryos killed, all in the name of progress, personal rights and freedom to decide which baby one wants to keep or discard. With the freezing of women’s eggs for use later and for IVF, embryos are treated as a thing or commodity to be discarded if not used. Babies today are treated as a product or a thing, not as a human being, sacred and deserving of dignity.
When we think of the Holy Innocents, we are also reminded of many innocent lives killed, including children because of war. Those who kill them justify on the basis that elimination of the enemy is of utmost importance, even if they are innocent human beings. The truth is that certain people on this earth are seen as more valued than others. Whilst their own people cannot be killed by others, they have no qualms about killing others. Such is the hypocrisy of powerful people and those with advanced weapons and arms. They do not even need to be on the ground, but with money and advanced weapons, they can just send in the bombs and rockets to destroy lives. Indeed, it is tragic to see so many who are suffering, lives lost, limbs maimed, houses and property destroyed because of war.
Finally, the Feast of the Holy Innocents should also make us conscious of those refugees displaced by war, civil disorder, religious persecution and poverty. Very often, they live on the margins of society. They are hungry, without jobs and without citizenship. They are desperate for food, security and the means to survive. Quite often, they are manipulated and ill-treated in their host country when unscrupulous people take advantage of them. Some are trafficked for prostitution and child labour. But faced with the need to survive, many have no choice but to surrender themselves to the wicked people who exploit them. Even foreign workers are all too often abused and taken advantage of. Many are cheated by unscrupulous employment agencies after incurring huge debts to pay for agency fees, only to find that there are no jobs awaiting them on their arrival. Some countries do not treat their foreign workers well. Some employers ill-treat their foreign workers and even cheat them of their salaries.
Consequently, on this Feast of the Holy Innocents, we are invited to reflect on Christ who is the Holy Innocent of God. He is truly the sinless one and yet He came to bear our sufferings and our sins, even allowing Himself to be unjustly put to death. Indeed, in the first reading, we read of how Christ had come to justify us when none of us can be said to be innocent of crimes against humanity and our fellowmen. St John declares, “God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Unfortunately, the world denies anyone can sin. We are numbed to our sins. Many in the world are against the notion of sin. In their eyes, no one commits sin but we might have some imperfections. In the name of psychology, sin is rejected because the evil we commit is due to the traumatic and negative experiences of our past, the way we were brought up. So there is sin in society perhaps, but no one commits personal sins. We claim that we have no power to do the right thing. St John makes it clear, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
However, if we acknowledge our sins, then we can begin to recognize our failings, feel remorse for what we had done, ask for forgiveness and the grace to live and walk in the light of Christ. Hence, St John urges us, “My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” This is what we are called to do on the Feast of the Holy Innocents. Let us be clear that we are not that innocent after all, certainly not innocent all the time. That is why we must seek repentance from our sins against humanity, the weak and vulnerable.
Today, we are called upon to look at Jesus who is the Holy Innocent, who died for us. Jesus, as St Matthew presents Him, is the Second Moses who was saved from Herod just as Moses was saved from Pharaoh. Like Moses who took refuge when he was persecuted, so too, Jesus took refuge in Egypt. Like Moses, He came to deliver His people from bondage and their sins. Jesus, like Moses, began the New Exodus and will offer His people a New Covenant. However, Jesus would be unjustly persecuted. The killing of the Holy Innocents was just the beginning of Jesus’ persecution by the authorities in His ministry. When we consider how much our Lord suffered for our sins and the cruelty of man, it is hoped that the celebration of this Feast of the Holy Innocents would give those who suffer unjustly and those who are refugees faith to continue to place their trust in God, that He will eventually redeem them. The psalmist says, “Our life, like a bird, has escaped from the snare of the fowler. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Let us take courage if we are the innocent ones. For those who are the oppressors, let us be conscious of our sins and cruelty, seek forgiveness and return to the Lord, so that we will walk in the light.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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