The Slaughter of the Innocents

 

 Matthew 2:13-18

The Escape to Egypt

¹³ When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

¹⁴ So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, ¹⁵ where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

¹⁶ When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. ¹⁷ Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

¹⁸ “A voice is heard in Ramah,
    weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
    and refusing to be comforted,
    because they are no more.”

In contrast to the heavenly hosts signing Glory To God In The Highest, not a week later we hear the voice of Rachel weeping for her children as King Herod, succumbing to his anger and fear, orders the slaughter of the innocent children of Bethlehem. Two thousand years later we again witness the slaughter and displacement of thousands of children in the same region. Innocent children are still the victims of hatred and jealousy, not to forget the thousands who are victims of abortion for one reason or another. Jesus was born to save us from this type of behavior, but we have not bought into his message or fully accepted his teaching; Let us pray today for forgiveness and ask for the grace to show respect for the Innocents of today.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, forgive us for our lack of respect for the unborn and for the helpless children who are victims of our selfishness. Amen.