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Gospel Reading for December 28, 2024 – Matthew 2: 13-18
GREED FOR POWER
When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, Out of Egypt I called my son.
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
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.
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Herod was so afraid to lose his power to an infant who was prophesied to become the King of the Jews. When he did not succeed to find the infant Jesus, he ordered the massacre of boys 2 years old and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity in order to eradicate the possibility of being replaced in the future. He could not even be sure if he would still be alive when Jesus comes of age. Perhaps he was protecting his family’s line of succession, some sort of a political dynasty. Imagine the grief and all the wailing, especially of the mothers, that happened then just because of his GREED FOR POWER!
Today, we celebrate the Feast of these innocent children who, in their very young years had to die for Jesus. And while we celebrate their feast, we pray for those who were eradicated from the Bethlehem of their mother’s womb through ABORTION, because their parents could not take the shame and were so afraid to lose face in their family and community. How ironic that the mothers in Bethlehem lamented over the loss of their children, while there are mothers like Herod who did not care to kill the child in their womb!
Bless our children, Lord. Keep them sheltered from the evil one!
