Feast of the Holy Innocents

From the Center and Library for the Bible and Social Justice:

Yesterday and today, Catholic and Orthodox Christians recognize the Feast of the Holy Innocents. This tradition commemorates the horrific events described in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 2, whereby the Roman-installed king Herod hunted down and massacred all baby boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity in an effort to kill the one child that was rumored to be the Messiah who would save the Jewish people from occupation and oppression. The honoring of these unnamed innocents as the first martyrs developed in the early church.

This year, we must draw the connections between this story and the massacre of innocents that is happening right now in Gaza and in other war zones across the world. The scripture tells us exactly how the mind corrupted by power works: it hears a rumor of a change amongst the people that it is charged with controlling, and it seeks to squelch this change, consequences be damned. The change might be an act of direct rebellion, it might be a movement of nonviolent resistance, it might be rumors of prophecy fulfilled. The common factor is that it emboldens people to stop accepting the status quo; it stirs a renewal of belief that fundamental change is possible and a quickening of conversation and action toward that change. Regardless of the specifics of its manifestation, these shifts in consciousness are the Living Christ amongst us, and they do and will evoke a violent response from the powers that be.

The recognition of this pattern should not be misunderstood to sacralize this violence. Rather, it allows us to not only grieve the lost lives, but also recognize what they signify. They are a flag that the Living Christ is at work. As we honor them, we can allow ourselves to perceive and discern more clearly when and how the Living Christ is showing up amongst the oppressed peoples of the world. We can harness this grief to increase our commitment to uniting our hearts and minds with the work of the Living Christ. Because just as Herod was not successful despite all the violence at his disposal, neither will today's Herods be successful. No matter how many bombs are dropped or villages are burned, this christic force of renewed faith in liberation will live, grow and thrive. And all people with ears to hear have the opportunity to join in this unfolding.

Below are links to other Holy Innocents reflections that draw this connection. Please share others you have found.

From Rev. Dr. Revelation Velunta:
https://www.facebook.com/rvelunta/posts/pfbid0qBRJJRgk9M7hh6nTA8PgjkRrN13oJJFuEgt8PiW5b1vZiwVFbX52GrVWaNxpMeVxl

From Pax Christi USA:
https://paxchristiusa.org/.../a-reflection-for-the-feast.../

From the Ignatian Solidarity Network:
https://ignatiansolidarity.net/.../holy-innocents.../