Feast of the Holy Innocents

“Herod 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.” Matthew 2:16

It was St. John's feast day yesterday. He wrote in his gospel, “We are writing this so our joy may be complete." When JOY is shared, it is completed. When Joy is kept to ourselves, something is lacking! Take time to share JOY  this Christmas season! And who better to share it with than children!

Today, December 28, is the Feast Day of the Holy Innocents. King Herod had hundreds of innocent children massacred ostensibly to save his throne.

Macrobius (ca. AD 400), one of the last pagan writers in Rome, in his book Saturnalia, wrote: ‘When it was heard that, as part of the slaughter of boys up to two years old, Herod, king of the Jews, had ordered his own son to be killed, the Emperor Augustus remarked, “It is better to be Herod's pig than his son."’

It was better to be a pig than Herod's son because Herod was a Jew and killing a pig was not kosher! Ironically today, countless, innocent unborn children are being slaughtered legally. It is better to be an endangered animal than a fetus in the womb.  Endangered animals are more protected, aren't they? Let us take time to pray for these innocent ones today.