December 28

The holy innocents martyrs

Today the Western churches commemorate the "massacre of the innocents." According to Matthew's Gospel, after Jesus' birth King Herod slaughtered all of the infants under the age of two in the vicinity of Bethlehem. Jesus, in the meantime, had found refuge in Egypt with his family.
These Jewish infants killed by Herod are innocent victims of the hostility shown by the powerful towards the disarming, gentle messianic royalty manifested by Jesus of Nazareth. They are also firstfruits of that immense cloud of witnesses who accompany the Lamb's wedding feast. Even though their involuntary sacrifice preceded Christ's passion, death and resurrection, their dramatic involvement in the mystery of the Incarnation is nonetheless the consequence of Israel's full integration into the body of Jesus, God's Messiah and suffering Servant.
This commemoration, as well as others that fall during the Christmas Octave, is celebrated in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches one day after it is celebrated in the Western churches.

Lord of the world who bring forth praise
even from the mouths of infants,
you willed that these children of Bethlehem,
born into the world like your Son,
announce his glory: not with the word
but with their blood poured out in witness.
Grant that our entire lives may testify
the faith that our mouths proclaim.
Through Christ our Lord.

BIBLICAL READINGS

Ex 1:8-22; 1 Jn 4:15-21; Mt 2:13-18

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THE CHURCHES REMEMBER...

ANGLICANS:
The holy innocents

WESTERN CATHOLICS:
The holy innocents, martyrs (Roman and Ambrosian calendar)
James, the Lord's brother, apostle (Spanish-Mozarabic calendar)

COPTS AND ETHIOPIANS (19 kiyahk/tahsas):
Gabriel, archangel
John (6th-7th cent.), bishop of Parallos (Coptic Church)

LUTHERANS:
The innocent children of Bethlehem
Reinhard Hedinger (d. 1704), preacher in Württemberg

MARONITES:
Cornelius (d. 258), pope and martyr

ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS AND GREEK CATHOLICS:
20.000 martyrs of Nicomedia (d. 302)
Synaxis of the saints of Crimea (Russian Church)
Arsenius of Kalipos (11th-12th cent.), monk (Georgian Church)

EAST SYRIAN ORTHODOX:
The holy innocents, martyrs (Malabar Church)

OLD CATHOLICS:
The innocent children, martyrs