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Gospel: Matthew 2: 13-18
When the magi had departed, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son.
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,
he became furious.
He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
two years old and under,
in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
***
While I hope everyone experienced some joy this Christmas, 2020 was different.
2020 was a COVID Christmas. Most of our shopping was probably done online, as we avoided large crowds, wore face masks, and tried to be socially distant.
Dinner tables were downsized as we could only gather with our closest family members or friends. The rest we had to see on FaceTime or Zoom.
Then there were the permanently empty seats left at the Christmas table, spots once occupied by a parent, a spouse, or even a child.
While Christmas is meant to be a joyful season, for some it’s a mixed bag.
***
Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents.
We remember and pray for the infants murdered by King Herod in his ruthless search for Jesus. It’s a stunning, jarring feast. It’s almost impossible to imagine a king issuing a death warrant for children.
But we celebrate this feast to remind us that there’s both light and darkness at work in our world – and by extension, both joy and sorrow at Christmas.
While Jesus survived Herod’s wrath that year, others didn’t.
***
This feast always makes me more sensitive to the suffering of others, those who taste more sorrow than joy.
I think of those spending the holidays in a hospital bed with COVID, cancer, or another illness; those who remain quarantined in nursing homes, isolated from their families.
Those who lost loved ones this year; and those who spend the holidays working double-shifts to put bread on the table.
***
While I hope we’ve all been joyful this Christmas, we must also remember those who struggle. May we shoulder their burdens; dry their tears; break their isolation; and come to their aid.
Holy Innocents, pray for us.
***
