Orthodox church literature claims that 144,000 were massacred by Herod's zealous forces. Other sources claim that as few as a dozen infants were executed in Herod's quest to kill the "Christ child. The actual number of victims is not so important to the Christian tale as is the (offering or) shedding of innocent blood. This massacre is what gives believers a premonition of Christ's own sacrifice some three decades later. Later martyrs of the church in centuries to come soon come t make up most of the rest of the Latin, Orthodox other church calendars.
However, by placing the so-called Feast or Mass of the Holy Innocents directly within the Christmas season, all Christians are asked to remember innocent victims--anywhere and everywhere, even as we celebrate the gift of Christ's birth.
In recent years, many Catholics have tied the day of remembrance directly to abortion deaths, but that has not been the historical focus. A typical mass would have included these words,
" Since the sixth century, on December 28, the Church has celebrated the memory of those children killed because of Herod's rage against Christ (cf. Mt 2:16-17). Liturgical tradition refers to them as the "Holy Innocents' and regards them as martyrs. Throughout the centuries Christian art, poetry and popular piety have enfolded the memory of the "tender flock of lambs'(125) with sentiments of tenderness and sympathy. These sentiments are also accompanied by a note of indignation against the violence with which they were taken from their mothers' arms and killed."
Especially, "[i]n our own times, children suffer innumerable forms of violence which threaten their lives, dignity and right to education. On this day, it is appropriate to recall the vast host of children not yet born who have been killed under the cover of laws permitting abortion, which is an abominable crime. Mindful of these specific problems, popular piety in many places has inspired acts of worship as well as displays of charity which provide assistance to pregnant mothers, encourage adoption and the promotion of the education of children."
Finally, "[a] s recorded in the gospel of Matthew " after the visit of the Magi, Herod, in rage and jealousy, slaughtered all the baby boys in Bethlehem and surrounding countryside in an attempt to destroy his perceived rival, the infant Messiah. These "innocents' are honored by the Church as martyrs."
FOCUS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON THOSE BEING SLAUGHTERED
As noted above, abortion-opponents have tried to take over this particular memory of the slaughter of children, i.e. as shared in Matthew. This has been only partially-acceptable appropriation of a day that should be meditative and contemplative for all in this planet who could do much more to stop innocent blood from being shed--any where, any time, any place.
The real focus of the Masses for the Holy Innocents has historically been on all the innocent youth in all countries where they are daily being slaughtered--regardless as to whether or not this slaughter is from saturation-earth bombings, lack of nutrition, abortion, or simple rejection by family or society.
I first was made aware of this wonderful Christmas-tide focus in December 1983 while I was living and working in Europe for the first time.
http://www.von-zeit-zu-zeit.de/index.php?template=thema&theme_id=137
Later, I returned during more somber Christmas-tide protests led by future-thinking "how-do-w- proceed-now?" Christians who were against having any more senseless wars in Europe
On the evening of December 27, many of us went to a Childermas--the traditional masses said (or even sung) at protestant gatherings remembering the Holy Innocents in Europe. The next day, December 28, thousands of more individuals joined our small church gathering to walk around the local U.S. military base. During our two-hour prayer walk, we put pictures drawn by children on the wire fence around the base. We also hung up dolls and toys.
The participants in that FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS reminded themselves and the soldiers occupying the base that day that innocents die--either due to war or due to military arms-build-ups, which misuse our earnings or savings and then impoverish us all.
In my entire life, I have never again perceived (or internalized) a clearer connection to how my nation (the USA) wastes so much money annually on things that go BOOM--than as in those hours when a few thousand of us hung up these various symbols of childhood on that U.S. military fence near Stuttgart, Germany on December 28, 1983.
On that day, I came to remember the deaths of innocent youth every Christmas season. In this way, I put my head on straight and demand right priorities for myself, my family, and my nation into the New Year. I would like you to consider joining and building on these thoughts this Christmas Tide.
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