Holy Innocents
A Homily For Innocents Day
This Holy Innocents Day completes the martyr cycle of Christmastide, and this morning, we remember the young boys aged two and under who were slaughtered at the order of Herod the Great to make sure a rival ruler (Israel's prophesied Messiah-King) would not live. Let us consider Herod for just a moment. Until the wise men's visitation, Herod's reign was secure, unthreatened, and relatively at peace. But when he learned of a special star appearing in the night sky indicating the birth of Israel's prophesied king, Mathew says Herod "was troubled" and sent the wise men to find the location of this king, with intentions to kill him, not worship him. But Herod's plan was upended when the wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod.
But Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, amid slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. (Mt 2:16-17)
What set Herod off? What caused him to slaughter all those innocent children? Scripture says he was mocked, insulted, and his plan upended: outplayed by these wise men from the East. And this enraged the man! There will be blood. His anger burned hot because they threw a wrench in his self-seeking mission to eradicate a great threat to his security. In retaliation, his pugnacious wrath fell hard upon thousands of innocent young boys, murdered to avenge the insult to his pride and to eradicate any threat to his earthly reign. "In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."
When events didn't cooperate with Herod's desires, he sinned in his selfish anger. Anger is the root of selfishness. We use selfish anger to gain or to maintain apparent control in our lives. Such anger takes many forms, but it always reflects an underlying attitude of blaming and condemnation when things do not work out as we had wanted. Sometimes, it takes the form of violent outbursts in speech and action. But the saddest and most observable form of selfish anger is evidenced by the culture of death hanging over our country, even over the whole world.
This culture of death is most profoundly cultivated by the scourge of abortion. On this day, it is appropriate to recall the vast host of children not yet born who have been killed under the cover of laws permitting abortion, which is an abomination to our Lord. And this isn't a recent phenomenon of sin, for even Israel at one time sacrificed their children to Molech by throwing them into his fires as an act of worship.
They sacrificed out of their selfish desires to attain Molech's blessing or to fend off his wrath; either way, selfishness, self-preservation, and maintaining the status quo motivated their actions. I know it's not popular (even within Christian circles) to hold to a zero-tolerance policy on abortion. I'm aware of the various circumstances that cause us to pause and consider whether an abortion could possibly be warranted, such as in cases of rape or incest [1.5%] or when "the mother's life is at risk." But every reputable study reveals that less than 3% of all abortions are performed for medical reasons, and well over 90% are performed for economic and social reasons: reasons of convenience. Or because the birth of a child would be inconvenient.
Convenience, consumerism, materialism, entertainment, and comfort are the winds fanning the flame of selfishness, and selfishness is the blood that runs through the veins of this culture of death. This isn't an indictment on women but also on the men who encourage or manipulate to cause or encourage aborting an unborn child so as not to disrupt his plans his lifestyle while maintaining the status quo by avoiding the burden and perceived discomfort of having to father a child. Let me be clear: the responsibility for this culture of death engulfing the West rests with both the man and the woman, as it has since the image-bearers fell from grace in the garden.
Is there any greater proof of a society's priority of self than abortion? To preserve one's life through self-defense is not the same thing as maintaining one's lifestyle by murdering a baby. One is a tragic and terrible sin, and the other an unfortunate tragedy. As Christians, we ought to be very clear on the differences and motivations between the two. Selfishness is always at the heart of unholy desire. This was true in the garden and of Lucifer, who desired to be God and supplant his rule. In both instances, selfish ambition led to death, not life. Ever since God decreed a plan to reverse Eden's curse through the seed of the woman, a cosmic war has raged against her children.
In our day, the battle is intensified beyond the evil of abortion. Many evils lurk amongst the children of the West. The death of innocence continues. The atrocity of "transing" young children who don't yet know any better, understanding parents and educated physicians performing horrific surgeries, even rendering children sterile for life. These "lifesaving" procedures and medical acts of "kindness” perpetrated on mere children are eerily reminiscent of Nazi “experimentation.”
Yes, in our day, children live in unspeakable poverty, go to bed hungry, and are held captive by institutions of so-called education. They are pornographized, sexualized, and anesthetized by an onslaught of social media. The dragon is eating our children, and his selfish anger is insatiable. "In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."
What force of nature can push against this juggernaut of death? Or who shall stand against this culture of death if not us, the church?
· First, we must have the courage to stand firmly for every child's life, both born and unborn.
· Second, we must embrace and encourage Christian marriage and the procreation of children (lots of children).
· Third, unmarried Christians must embrace the biblical call of abstaining from sexual intercourse until this gift may be enjoyed in the union of holy matrimony.
· Fourth, godparents and all Christians should support marriages and families within their local parish through mentoring relationships, supporting parents as they raise children, and meeting the financial and other challenges faced by today's families.
· Finally, we need to support legislation at any level that protects the life and welfare of children born and unborn and pro-family legislation that encourages and promotes Christian marriage and the ability to raise kids, including making foster care and adoption less convoluted and far more affordable.
Pray. Speak out. Help out.
Friends, it's easy to find Herod an unsympathetic character who we instinctively judge negatively because of his selfishness and brutality. Yet, today allows us to ask ourselves whether there is not something of Herod in us, too. Today would be a good day to confess our national sin, our personal sin, whether by action or inaction, for this culture of death and ask God for forgiveness, which he most certainly will grant because he is merciful and he loves us. All of us, to one degree or another, fight against selfish ambition and desires, yet we are not without the Spirit of God, who has taken up residence in our hearts. This is the first sign of an unselfish heart in that it makes room for another. Giving space to God never limits the self but, to the contrary, invites us into the reality of his never-ending love.
Therefore, let love be our motivation to fight against the evils of abortion, to uphold the dignity of all women, to hold foolish men to account, and to be the force of Christ's life to overcome this culture of death. For Jesus, the one born in a manger, that first and perfect martyr, has overcome death and lives. And all those who suffer for his sake, even those slaughtered in his name, shall abide forever with him in the heavenly throne room!
I LOOKED, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him a hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads... and they sang as it were a new song before the throne... and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God" (Rev 15). Amen+
