Holy Innocents

Today is, for Catholics at least, the Feast Day of the Holy Innocents. This is a day when we remember the many young boys slaughtered by King Herod as he searched for the baby Jesus.

The story can be found in the second chapter of Matthew. Enraged that the Magi did not tell him where to find this young King of the Jews, Herod ordered that all boys aged two years and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem be killed. His soldiers carried out the order ruthlessly. We can only imagine what this must have been like. Warned in a dream, Joseph led Mary and Jesus to safety in Egypt.

Today more Holy Innocents are dying, aborted before they are even born. Others die soon after from abuse or neglect. We will all face the Holy Innocents one day. Will we be able to tell them we did all we could?

"A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more."