The Holy Innocents (of yesterday and today)

Three days have passed since Christmas and in what is known as the Octave – the week until 1st January, which is considered as a single Christmas Day – the Church invites us to remember the “Holy Innocents”. They were the children slain during the massacre ordered by Herod, in the attempt to kill Jesus, as narrated in the Gospel according to Matthew (2,1-16).

The celebration of the Custody in Bethlehem

This anniversary appears as early as the sources of the 6th century, but was raised to the rank of a feast-day by Pope Pius V. The Custody of the Holy Land celebrates it in Bethlehem, the city of the massacre. According to tradition, the Mass was celebrated in the grotto known as “St Joseph’s” connected to the grotto of the Nativity by a passageway. Here, an angel is believed to have spoken to Joseph in a dream, ordering him to flee to Egypt with the Child and his Mother. The grotto looks on to another ravine (perhaps a mass grave) which tradition indicates as the tomb of the Holy Innocents.

The Mass was presided over by Fra Ibrahim Faltas, Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land,  in the presence of the Franciscan community of the Bethlehem convent and  some local faithful and religious. 

Today like yesterday

“The death of the innocents in the news of our time as well, of this way and of the conflicts surrounding us, of which the children pay the highest price” Fra Ibrahim said in his homily. “This is the new massacre of the innocents of this century! There is nothing more humanly atrocious than the pain caused to children. We cannot remain in silence in the face of these deep wounds, inflicted on innocent children.

Faith, orientation in difficulties

Fra Ibrahim also pointed to the figure of St Joseph, who obeys the angel in this situation of danger. “This event is very similar to that of many families, men and women who are still seeking refuge today in a country far from their homes, in a safe place, to flee from wars and violence,” he stressed. Joseph trusts God. Faith does not make everything simple, but it gives an orientation to our lives and vigour to our steps even in difficult times.” 

At the end of Vespers, in the afternoon, the grotto of the Holy Innocents was incensed, after a short procession which brought the solemnity to an end.

Marinella Bandini

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