“Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and sending, killed all the sons that were born in Bethlehem and in all the borders thereof from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men” (Matt. 2, 16).
First Prelude: Call to mind the sequence of events leading to the massacre of the holy infants.
Second Prelude: O my Jesus, through the sufferings of Thy holy Childhood, infuse into my heart courage and resignation, that I may carry my daily cross meritoriously.
FIRST POINT
THE DESIGNS OF GOD CONCERNING THE HOLY INNOCENTS
We read in Holy Scripture: “The Souls of the just are in the hands of God” (Wis. 3, 1). The Holy Innocents, the victims of the cruelty of Herod, were fortunate, indeed, since in return for short sufferings they were admitted into the kingdom of everlasting peace. By their early death, God preserved them from the innumerable dangers and storms of this woeful earthly existence. They escaped not only temporal needs, but also the serious perils that threaten the welfare of the soul. Had a long life been their portion perhaps they, too, would have rejected the God-sent Messiah, would have made themselves guilty of deicide, and incurred eternal damnation. As it was, however, they were permitted to give testimony of Jesus Christ by their blood; they were permitted to be the first flowers of that abundant harvest of martyrs; they were destined to glorify the crib of the Son of God through the sacrifice of their lives. What a tribute of thanks will they not offer to the Divine Redeemer throughout all eternity, for the incomparable grace of their glorious election!
The mothers of these innocent victims did not fathom this mystery of grace and were inconsolable in their grief. They considered the death of their little ones as the greatest misfortune, as the shattering of their fondest hopes. How would they not have rejoiced, had it been revealed that God would draw so much good from the malicious act of Herod, that a transient tribulation could be converted into a source of so much joy! How often do we conduct ourselves similarly in depressing recurrences, which in reality are only the workings of divine mercy! Let us, therefore, take to heart the salutary lesson of this feast, namely, that God directs all things, even the apparently evil, to the welfare of His chosen ones, that He directs all things to ultimate good.
SECOND POINT
IT IS A BENEFIT TO SUFFER FOR THE HONOR OF GOD
Although we are not exposed to the painful tortures of martyrdom, in religious life, and especially as Christian educators, we will find various discomforts, mortifications and sufferings. Ascetics compare religious life to martyrdom, and concede also that the length of the former renders it more burdensome. All the exercises of religious life are directed to the subjugation of the passions and the mortification of self will, with the ultimate purpose that the spirit may rise to heavenly things and live for God alone. The Holy Innocents, in their sufferings, testify to the designs of our Lord relative to the elect. He Himself proclaims, through His example in the crib, the great truth that innocence, too, must perform penance. All who wish to resemble the Redeemer must suffer in union with Him.
To suffer for the love of God is, therefore, a sign of predilection, it is the means by which a soul can prove her love for God, it is the measure of our eternal happiness. Oh, how we deceive ourselves if we try to evade sufferings, if we consider them as a punishment and endure them with ill will! How happy, on the contrary, are they who suffer for justice’s sake and live for God!
Do I consider the sufferings of life as the coin wherewith to purchase my future happiness? Do I bear the little hardships of my holy vocation with the sincere desire to resemble my Saviour?
Affections: O Divine Child, Who camest into the world to redeem and sanctify us, what great sacrifices didst Thou not impose upon Thyself, even in the crib, that I might recognize that only a penitential, mortified life can lead to Thy love, and to perfect union with Thee. Yes, henceforward, with the help of Thy grace, I will work zealously at my sanctification. With childlike confidence I will submit to the direction of Thy Divine Providence. Through the voluntary acceptance of the daily contradictions, I will try to secure strength and courage to overcome all difficulties in the road to perfection.
Resolution: I will unite the mortifications that God may require of me today, with the sufferings that my dear Saviour endured for me in the crib.
Spiritual Bouquet: “To those who love God, all things tend to good.”
Prayer: Take, O Lord . . .
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