Feast of the Holy Innocents

Today the Church recalls the lives of the boys 2 and under, fetted out and killed by Herods men. Herod, believing the prophecies sought to kill Christ, who is in the Davidic line. No one had claimed to be from the Davidic line since the last king was put to death. If any man stepped out and claimed kingship, he would be hunted down and killed by the occupying government.

St. Joseph, having in a dream been told by an Angel, rose up and brought Jesus and Mary to Egypt. Recall that Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, who also posessed the power of dreams, was made powerful in Egypt and brought his people there to settle in Goshen. Joseph therefore fulfilled the prophecy: "Out of Egypt have I called my son." (Matt. 2: 13 - 18)

In this day we recall the agony and suffering of those innocent children. The terror their mothers went through as their children were torn away from them and killed in front of them. The mad fury of Herod. But it reminds me of the considerable offenses this country and the world has made against God in committing the most heinous acts of abortion, infanticide, euthansia, stem cell research, and others. We pray for God's mercy.