Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection December 28, 2024
The Holy Innocents, Martyrs
28th December 2024 (Saturday)
Psalter: Proper
Readings of the Day
First Reading: 1 John 1:5-2:2
Beloved: This is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christ and proclaim to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. 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. If we say, “We are without sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.
Psalm 124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8 (R. 7)
R/. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. We praise you, O God, we acclaim you as Lord; the white robed army of martyrs praise you.
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel: Matthew 2:13-18
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.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Saturday – The Holy Innocents, Martyrs
Guidelines: God loves us unconditionally and so He subjects himself to the limitations and vicissitudes of the human condition. Thereby our life should be an act of unconditional love for him
1. We remember today the death of the holy Innocents. King Herod kills all male children of two years or under. It was the height of his cruelty out of desperation and power-mongering. He perceived a potential threat to his throne in the newborn Messiah. He wanted to decimate the would-be king already at birth itself.
2. In fact, this shows the devastating inhumanity and wickedness of Herod. It is totally beyond bounds. First of all, there was no need to kill all the male children. It would be enough to identify the child Jesus and kill him only.
3. Secondly, there was no need to kill all two-years or below because clearly Jesus just born would not be two-years old or just below. Thirdly, there was no need to be in such a mighty hurry to kill Jesus because he would not grab his throne immediately as an infant himself.
4. Finally, such cruelty was utterly senseless and purposeless. What is the use of killing all the other children just for the sake of one child? What does he gain from such a massive massacre? It was more an act out of frustration and fury. It was a repugnant reaction leading to violence and destruction.
5. We need not be content and absolve ourselves with cursing Herod. There are many Herods today. They act like Herod whenever they give vent to heartless and merciless anger and fury, aggression and violence, harm and destruction. They are more than Herod when they act inhumanly and treacherously for the sake of power and position.
6. Perhaps, there are also Herods who kill the unborn babies for various reasons. One may argue and justify such acts in the garbs of modernity and unbridled freedom and choice. But in the heart of conscience, nothing can be a pretext for such inhuman cruelty.
7. We get the reason for this “herod-ness”. This “herodness” happens when one has no light of God in him, has no fellowship with God, no cleansing from sin, and thus walks in darkness. There are traces of “herodic” mentality in every one of us.
8. Today’s innocent children show us a contrast to Herod. Herod destroys life. These children ‘save’ and ‘sustain’ life by dying “in the place” and “for the sake” of Jesus. The point here is not why the innocent should die for Jesus for no fault of theirs.
9. The death of the holy innocents also indicates that we need not do great and extraordinary things to show our fidelity to the Lord. Even in our littleness, even in our silence, even in and through our unrecognised and insignificant lives, we can “protect” and “safeguard” the life and values of Christ.
10. This can be very indicative of our own reality. It is a fact that a numberless suffer and die innocently and unjustly. Perhaps at times unconsciously we ourselves may be the causes and agents of it. Are we aware of it? What do we do in the face of innocent suffering? What are our efforts to alleviate such pain and injustice?
Practice: The holy Innocents died so that the Saviour could escape death and live on so as to give life to many. What do I do to ‘shield’ the Lord and promote life
