Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Today we observe the Octave of Christmas and commemorate the Holy innocents. Through the fact that these two realities meet serves as a great contrast. On one hand we have the Word made Flesh lying in the humility of a manager and on the other hand we have the cry of Rachel who is weeping for her children.
The Nativity is not over glamorized by the Church. From the very beginning the Child born in Bethlehem is marked by great contradictions. Shepherds come in order to adore Him and kings come to do Him homage and yet Herod was filled with fear and wanted to threaten Him with violence. The shadow of the cross is already being shown to us from the wood of the manger.
The Holy Innocents did not not speak a word nor did they choose martyrdom. They did not even know the Name of Christ. Nevertheless, the Church venerates them as martyrs for they died in confession of Christ. Through their death it is proclaimed that the world resists the light that comes in order to save.
This is the cost of the Incarnation. God takes on our human flesh and makes His dwelling place here among us. Nevertheless, the world continues to rebel despite such a wondrous gift. The Lord comes bringing with Him truth. Truth is something which is difficult to accept, but by taking on truth whatever it may be we come to be healed in Christ.
This Sunday there is a great weight that has been placed upon our hearts. This is after all the final Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite to be offered in this parish church. Here there is a sense of loss and sorrow that weighs upon us. The Church is not asking us to pretend as if grief is not real. Even Rachel in her sorrow was allowed to weep.
The Holy Innocents serve as a reminder of fidelity until the end. Through such fidelity that which would seem as if defeat becomes victory. Their blood which was spilled was not the end of their story for they are remembered and venerated to this day. Our fidelity must remain to Christ and to His Church no matter how difficult such fidelity may be.
The Infant Christ was threatened by Herod and so He went into exile. Yet He remained the Savior. So too the Holy Innocents lost their life and yet they now reign victorious in Heaven. Loss when united to God becomes an eternal gain. Through the loss that is felt let us remain united to the truth of faith and through the obedient taking up of such a task, we will strive for the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Holy Innocents teach us how to suffer and the Christ Child teaches us how to trust without fear. Let us have such faith as we continue to give thanks to God and strive to serve Him and His Church each and every day of our life.
Holy Innocents, pray for us.
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