Reflections on the Holy Innocents

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 3:42 pm Post subject: Reflections on the Holy Innocents

â€œMy children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.â€ (1 John 2:1-2)

Despite our best intentions, we often find ourselves missing the mark in following and fulfilling the commandments of our Lord and Savior. The challenge to love one another is often left unfulfilled when we are faced with those who do not like us very much, in some cases, simply because of our Christian beliefs. How charitable are we, even when we face fellow Christians? We often offer our judgment before our love, though He told us not to judge, lest we be judged.

Despite our best intentions, we fall to selfishness. In selfishness, we find ourselves acting in ways which leads to the harm of innocents. Parents fail their children and children fail their parents. Neighbor fails against neighbor and nations fail against nations. If we were left entirely unto ourselves, our sin would cause such devastation that we would bring the netherworld to our feet. Some are already consumed by its evil, but even they have hope if they but turn to believe in the One who died for our sins.

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: â€œA 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.â€ ( Matthew 2:16-18 )

Herod feared the coming of the Lord and in a consuming act of selfishness took the lives of many children in the belief he was preserving power for himself. In consuming selfishness, innocents were never allowed to mature. They were taken from their sobbing mothers, their fathers deprived of their sons; lives lost to what they could have done for their parents, their communities, for each other.

While few might act with the same selfishness power as Herod, we must ask in what we do and what we fail to do, what innocents do we harm? We should not expect that we may save the world by ourselves, but do we turn our back when we have the chance to make a difference?

The selfless answer is not the easy way for it requires denial of self in favor of the many around us. Though we may fail, He is there to encourage us. In prayer, we should ask for His help that each day we may live closer and closer to what He asks of us; to love and care for one another, to do what is in our power to protect the innocents around us no matter how young or how old.

May the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier