Day 4 of 12 Days of Christmastide 2020 Feast of the Holy Innocents

 

DAY4  OF THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS 2020 SERIES.

Manger scene: 12 days of Christmastide 2020 icon.

FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS

The Holy Innocents saved the Child Jesus from death by King Herod by the shedding of their own blood. The Holy Innocents are the special patrons of small children, who can please the Christ Child by being obedient and helpful to parents, and by sharing their toys and loving their siblings and playmates.

During this octave of Christmas, the Church celebrates the memory of the small children of the neighbourhood of Bethlehem put to death by Herod. Sacrificed by a wicked monarch, these innocent lives bear witness to Christ who was persecuted from the time of His birth by a world which would not receive Him. It is Christ Himself who is at stake in this mass-murder of the children; already the choice, for or against Him, is put clearly before men. But the persecutors are powerless, for Christ came to perform a work of salvation that nothing can prevent; when He fell into the hands of His enemies at the time chosen by God it was to redeem the world by His own Blood.

 

So, in our reflection today on the feast of Holy Innocents we might like to:

• Read today’s Gospel MT 2:13-18.  There are 3 parts to this Gospel- the flight into Egypt by Joseph and Mary to protect Jesus and Herod’s violent reaction of mass murder of all children under 2 and the loss and grief of those parents who lost their child through this murder.
  
  
• Pray for the right of the unborn child to live daily.  There are valuable resources at https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/what-can-people-do-to-help-defend-life-12698
  
  
•  Pray for the mothers/father’s who have had an abortion but now realise what they have done.
  
  
• Pray and/or do something practical for asylum seekers and/or their organizations.
  
  
• Discuss this feast with your children in an age-appropriate way.  You may wish to inaugurate the custom of blessing your children. From the Ritual comes the form which we use on solemn occasions, such as First Communion. However, parents can simply sign a cross on the child's forehead with the right thumb dipped in holy water and say: May God bless you, and may He be the Guardian of your heart and mind—the Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

On the Fourth day of Christmastide on the Feast of Holy Innocents is a great opportunity to: review this Gospel and take some decisive step to stop injustice and killing in the world.  We may feel helpless but bringing these huge issues to God is essential. We can also stop killing even by what we say about another person ( in our family, in our parish, in our workplace or neighbourhood). We can make our effort to stop injustice in the workplace or in our homes (eg does one child end up doing more chores and other children get off scot free).