The
Holy Innocents, Martyrs
Feast Day
December 28th
Feast Day
December 28th
Giotto di Bondone
No. 21 Scenes from the Life of Christ
Massacre of the Innocents
1304-06 -- Fresco
Cappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), Padua
http://www.wf-f.org/innocents.html
Gospel Reading
Matthew 2:13-18
First Reading
From the book of Exodus (1:8-16.22)
Night Office Reading (Saint Bernard).
From a sermon on the Feast by Saint Bernard (PL
183,129-131)
Blessed is he who came in the name of the Lord! For the
holy One born of Mary did not come in vain, but spread abroad abundantly the
name and grace of holiness. Thence surely came the holiness of Stephen, of John,
and of the Innocents. It is well for us that these three feasts are associated with
the birthday of the Lord, for besides helping us to maintain our devotion, their
coming one after another, as a kind of escort makes the fruit of our Lord's birth
more evident.
In these three solemnities, three kinds of holiness can
be seen, and I think it would be hard to find among humans a fourth. In blessed
Stephen we have a martyr both in will and deed; in blessed John we have the will
alone; in the blessed Innocents the deed alone.
As for the Innocents, who could have any doubt about
their reward? Surely, no one who believes that children born again in Christ receive
divine adoption can doubt that these children slain for Christ are crowned among
the martyrs. Otherwise, why did tilt: Child who was born to help us, not to hurt
us, allows these babes of his own age to be killed on his account? Since he could
certainly have prevented their murder with a mere nod, he must have had some better
thing in store for them. Therefore, as baptism suffices for a child's salvation
even though he receives it without any act of will on his part, so also did the
involuntary martyrdom of these children suffice to sanctify them.
Stephen was a martyr in human eyes. His willingness to
suffer appears most clearly in the fact that on the point of death he was more
concerned for his persecutors than for himself. John was a martyr in the sight of
the angels who, being spiritual themselves, could see the spiritual proofs of
his dedication.
But these, these Innocents, are clearly your own martyrs,
O God; because they do not seem either to humans or angels to have earned any reward,
your special favor to them is shown with greater clarity. Out of the mouths of children and of babes you have received perfect
praise. The angels sang: Glory
to God in the highest and peace to people of good will. That indeed
is magnificent but I dare to say not perfect praise, which will be found only
when he comes who said: Let the little
children come to me, for of such is
the kingdom of heaven. Then, through the mystery of God's goodness,
there will be peace even for people who cannot use their will.
Responsory see Wis 4:14.15; Rom 8:28
The Lord took them quickly
* from the midst of wickedness,
- for God's grace and mercy
are with his elect, and he watches over his holy ones.
By turning everything to this
good
God works together with those
who love him, - for God's grace ...
No comments:
Post a Comment