Out of Egypt I Called My Son

December 28, 2007
Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs
But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

"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." Matthew 2:18

Piety

Lord, we join Rachel in her weeping for children who are victimized by violence, natural disasters, and the betrayal of those who should be caring for them, not harming them. Help us to confront the powers which harm children so that we can advocate and take actions to spread your message of love and peace. Amen.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/122807.shtml

This third day of Christmas brings out another aspect of life after we encounter Jesus and join in fellowship with Him and the disciples: the collision course that we will have with what Walter Wink calls "the powers that be." From the very outset of his life, the leaders in Palestine (religious, political and military) made Jesus a marked baby…then they would continue that persecution into his adult life. Today, on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, we remember in sadness the children (non-combatants) who lost their lives at the hands of the Roman soldiers in this pre-emptive strike by King Herod.

This collision with power mirrors the experience of the people of Israel who faced trials and exile throughout history. Jesus relives their Exodus journey into and return from Egypt as he escaped the massacre with his parents.

To cope with such cultural collisions, Jesus often relied upon the kindness of others throughout his life on earth. In this case, his parents helped him to escape the massacre. This is just the first example of how Jesus has a loving relationship with those around him, a relationship in which he helps those around him and also count upon others for help. As a child, Jesus relied upon his parents, teachers and the leaders of the church. As he grew into his adult ministry, women and men supported his ministry. Students learned from him and passed along his lessons.

The story also has many parallels with modern history of forced migration. As detailed by Pax Christi:

• Indigenous peoples of this land were forcibly banished in the trail of tears.
  
• 4.2 million Iraqis have been forced to flee home and/or country
  
• Millions are forced to flee environmental crises and resource wars due to resource depletion and climate change. We only have to look at examples like New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina for such examples.
  

Action

As we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace and the massacre of the Holy Innocents, let us renew the call of Pope Paul VI at the United Nations, "Never Again War!" Since the Iraq War began, estimates show there have been between 79,000 to 86,000 documented civilian deaths from violence. Although the average deaths per day from gunfire has dropped from55/day in 2006 to 36/day in 2007, the number killed by vehicle bombs has jumped from 8.5/day in 2006 to 14/day in 2007 according to the Iraq Body Count website. This includes civilian deaths by US gunfire which numbered 96 in the month of October.

What actions will you offer to Jesus to help him continue to fulfill his ministry today by reaching out to help stop the killing and displacement of people affected by disasters both natural and man-made? How can you help and save children who are among those confronted by violence and power in places like Iraq, Sudan, Palestine, Afghanistan, Haiti and elsewhere in the world? Visit the website for Save the Children (http://www.savethechildren.org/) for some ideas.