December 28 2021 - Holy Innocents - Savage Violence and the Victory of Christ

 The former Prefect for the Roman Congregation in charge of assisting the Holy Father with liturgy and the sacraments, Cardinal Sarah was asked about the disturbing trend around the world of churches being profaned. “The profanations are multiplying” he said, “we have lost count of the churches that have been profaned and defiled.” Sometimes images and statues of the Blessed Virgin are defaced, “sometimes the tabernacle itself is the target.”

Cardinal Sarah then drew a connection with the feast we celebrate today, the Feast of the Holy Innocents. He said, “let us not be surprised when we experience rejection and hatred. God’s love for mankind, which was manifested at the time of the Nativity, triggered the devil’s anger. Recall that the horror of the massacre of the Holy Innocents followed shortly after the joy of Christmas. When God reveals his gentleness and his love, the devil responds with blind, gratuitous violence. The Church is in the world as a sign of contradiction. The more she preaches him who is ‘the way, and the truth, and the life,’ the more she disturbs and the more she is rejected.” (This is from his book “The Night is Far Spent”, by the way)

We hear in the Gospel today how King Herod was “greatly troubled” over the news of the Christ Child’s birth. And so he orders the massacre of all boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old or younger. 

Herod’s extreme brutality and grasp for power at the threat of the loss of his throne, represents all the powers that stand against Christ.

We can see those powers at work, in a rage and a fury, throughout history, in the persecution of the Church, in the amassing of violent means to protect their thrones. We can see them, in those who lash out against God, as Cardinal Sarah points out—taking their fears and angers and hurts out on God and his sacred places and objects.

And yet, if we are honest, we can even sense a little bit of Herod in each one of us, whenever we refuse the particularly challenging call to conversion, when securing our own personal kingdom becomes more important than the kingdom of God.

Yes, today’s feast is a reminder of the savagery by which God’s kingdom is opposed, but it is also a celebration of the holy martyrs who witnessed to the way, the truth, and the life throughout the centuries. It is a feast of the victory of Christ, the victory of God, the victory of the light over the darkness, the victory of peace over savage violence. For the holy innocents, and the holy martyrs throughout the century are able to share in Christ’s victory, and they pray for us, that we may do the same, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the witness of the Church may help all nations come to believe in the Lordship of Jesus.

For the conversion of those who bring violence against the Church and the holy places and things of God, for healing in their troubled souls, and for the peace of Christmas to reign in every heart.

That our president and all civil servants will carry out their duties with justice and honesty, and for the reversal of any law which permits or leads to the destruction of innocent human life, and that God may protect all unborn babies, and keep them safe from the scourge of abortion, we pray to the Lord.

For those oppressed by hunger, sickness, addiction, or loneliness, that through the mystery of the Nativity of Christ, they may find relief in both mind and body. 

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

December 28 2018 - Holy Innocents - The choice to receive or reject

On Christmas morning, we read from the Prologue of St. John’s Gospel: how the Eternal Word took on the flesh of humanity to enlighten and save the world. John wrote how there were those who received the incarnate Word with faith and Love and there were those who rejected Him.

Those who accepted the Christ Child at Christmas were of course, His blessed Mother, who received the Lord into her loving arms, St. Joseph, who received the Christ Child as a foster son—who vowed to guard, protect, rear, and teach the boy as if he was his own; the shepherds received the Christ Child in adoration, and the magi received the child with wonder and awe and worship.

Today, we heard of how King Herod did not receive the child with love and faith. In fact, he plotted to have the child murdered. And when his original plot failed, Herod ordered the massacre of all the young boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity, in an attempt to eradicate the Christ.

Through the Gospels, each of the evangelists describe the many ways that Jesus was either received in faith or rejected and hated. All those encountering Him had to make a choice to receive or to reject.
The day after Christmas, we celebrated the Feast of Stephen, the first martyr, who made the choice to receive the Lord and to remain faithful unto death for Him. Yesterday, was the feast of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, who, as well, received the Lord with faith and love, and although he was not martyred, he suffered greatly, and served the Lord as a faithful apostle. The Church honors the Holy Innocents massacred by Herod as martyrs, who received the Lord in a baptism by blood—they died for Christ, and God received them into his Kingdom.

In every age there will be Herod’s who reject the Christ, who will not stop at any extreme to safeguard their own personal kingdoms. Many even who attended Mass this Christmas, who heard the Gospel preached, will reject the call to conversion, to receive the Lord with Love and Faith and Worship. Many will not allow themselves to detach from their worldly ways to receive the Lord.

But there are Herod’s and hard-hearts that can be reached, that can be softened to receive the Christ Child through the witness, prayers, and sacrifices of the Church. So we pray for them, and for ourselves, that we may receive the Lord ever more deeply, lovingly, and faithfully, and reject everything that does not come from or lead us to Him, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That the witness of the Church may help all nations come to believe in the Lordship of Jesus.

That our president and all civil servants will carry out their duties with justice and honesty, and for the reversal of any law which permits or leads to the destruction of innocent human life, and that God may protect all unborn babies, and keep them safe from the scourge of abortion, we pray to the Lord.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life and a strengthening of all marriages in holiness.

For those oppressed by hunger, sickness, addiction, or loneliness, that through the mystery of the Nativity of Christ, they may find relief in both mind and body.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

December 28 2017 - Feast of the Holy Innocents

Historically, Herod was well known for his cruelty. He was believed to have engineered the death of a rival prince. Fearing the schemes of his own sons who Herod believed to be planning to usurp the throne, he had them executed as well. Caesar Augustus, who was no stranger himself to murder and intrigue, was said to have commented that, “I would rather be Herod’s dog than his son.”

Knowing his paranoia and cruelty, it is not surprising that Herod felt threatened by the rumor of the birth of the promised Messiah in Bethlehem. If these rumors were true, such a revelation meant the end of Herod and his dynasty. When he was unable to discover the identity of this child, we heard today how Herod ordered all the young children in the region around Bethlehem to be killed.

Herod’s extreme brutality and grasp for power at the threat of the loss of his throne reminds us of the many “Herods” throughout history—those who stop at nothing to safeguard their own personal kingdoms. 

Cruel King Herod represents all the powers that stand against Christ. Yet, when we are honest with ourselves we must admit that hostility to Christ exists not just out in the world, they lurk within us all. There are parts of ourselves that want nothing to do with Christ: they are the parts of us that resist conversion.

Yet this feast is not focused on the hostility of Herod, but on the witness of the innocents. The Lord Jesus, who was born in order to die for others, begins his life with others dying because of him. Those young children slaughtered by Herod are counted amongst the ranks of the glorious martyrs, whose blood is shed in witness to the Lordship of Christ.

The sacrifice of the Holy Innocents was not in vain. From heaven, no doubt they pray for us now. They pray for the conversion of the Herod’s of our modern day, who put innocent life to death. And, they pray for our conversion as well, especially those parts of us that resemble Herod’s hostility to holiness. They pray that our “Herodness” may be changed into holy innocence, that the darkness in our world may be converted to light, that error may converted to truth, and cruelty be converted to compassion, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the witness of the Church may help all nations come to believe in the Lordship of Jesus.

That our president and all civil servants will carry out their duties with justice and honesty, and for the reversal of any law which permits or leads to the destruction of innocent human life, and that God may protect all unborn babies, and keep them safe from the scourge of abortion, we pray to the Lord.
For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life and a strengthening of all marriages in holiness.

For those oppressed by hunger, sickness, addiction, or loneliness, that through the mystery of the Nativity of Christ, they may find relief in both mind and body.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord

Homily: Dec 28 2016 - Holy Innocents, Marytrs - Dispelling the darkness

So much of our Christmas celebration is full of joy over the birth of the Christ child: we share in the joy of the holy family, the joy of shepherds and magi, and the angelic hosts singing “glory to God in the highest.” And yet always looming has been the shadow of the Cross. Christmas is not simply about how cute and cuddly Jesus was as a baby. It's about our dire and desperate need for a Savior from sin, death, and hell.

We are reminded too, by this morning’s Gospel, the hostility toward Christ even as a new born babe. Herod was “greatly troubled” when Magi from the east came seeking the whereabouts of the newborn king of the Jews whose star they had seen. 

Herod tried to deceive the Magi, when he claimed he wished “do homage” to the newborn king.  When the Magi did not return, Herod, infuriated, ordered the massacre of all boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old or younger. The Church honors these Holy Innocents as martyrs for the faith.  They died for Christ

Herod’s extreme brutality and grasp for power at the threat of the loss of his throne reminds us of the many Herods throughout history: those who will stop at nothing to safeguard their own personal kingdoms.  Christ came to convert the Herod’s of the world, even the bit of Herod that is found in each one of us--the part of us that refuses to give up our thrones. We must expose the Herods to the light of Christ's life and love.

We also recall today for all those Christians around the world who continue to be persecuted for the name of Christ, innocents who are slaughtered as the powers of sin and selfishness continue to manifest around the world.

Christmas is a time of great prayer for those parts of the world and parts of our hearts which are still shrouded in darkness: and belief that the radiance of the light of the Christ child can dispel all earthly wickedness and selfishness, and our own call to be faithful in spreading that light, being bearers of the light of God’s truth and goodness and beauty to the world for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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This morning at 6:00am, the Holy See made public that Bishop Lennon has been granted retirement as Bishop of Cleveland and Bishop Daniel Thomas, Bishop of Toledo will serve as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese until such time that the Holy Father makes a permanent appointment. Bishop Lennon’s health has not been good for some time, in late November he requested early retirement citing his ongoing health challenges. A full announcement is available on the diocesan website and there will be a press conference at 10am. Please keep Bishop Lennon, Bishop Thomas, and the Holy Father in your prayers, as new leadership for the diocese is discerned.

Homily: December 28, 2012 - Feast of the Holy Innocents

An angel had once again visited Saint Joseph, this time warning him to flee to Egypt, with Mary and the Christ child, for so threatened was King Herod by the possibility of the loss of earthly power, that he was planning to search for Jesus and have him killed.  And so furious was he when he learned he was tricked by the wise men, he had all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under killed.  

The Church honors these Holy Innocents today, baptized by blood in witness to the true Lord and King.  

In each age, history has its own Herod’s, those who will not stop at any extreme to safeguard their own personal kingdoms.  Christians continue to be martyred around the world.   Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday lamented “savage acts of terrorism” that frequently target Christian churches in Nigeria, during his traditional Christmas message, yet as one group of Nigerian Christians gathered for worship Christmas Eve, a group of gunmen stormed their church, killed a number of them, and then set fire to the church building.  Our country still grieves the loss of those young school children killed in Connecticut. 

Christ shines as light in the darkness for all ages.  

Jesus Christ is the light who has come into the darkness of this world, to lead us out of the darkness and selfishness which alienate us from one another, out of the darkness and selfishness of our own personal kingdoms into the one kingdom of light where we have communion with God and one another.  

Christmas is a celebration of light and life— the shining radiance of the life of Christ.  Saint John spoke of the darkness of sin this morning which is antithetical to the light of Christ.  We revile sin because sin makes us into rivals of God’s kingdom, like Herod.

And as Christians we are called to witness to the light of Christ and his Gospel of Life.  

So we pray, through the intercession of the Holy Innocents, that we may be always faithful in sharing the light of God’s truth and goodness and beauty to the world, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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