Br. Jack Crowley

The Holy Innocents

Matthew 2:13-18

Today we observe the Feast of the Holy Innocents. We remember all the children slain by King Herod in his attempt to murder Jesus. I know to observe this feast in the midst of the twelve days of Christmas can feel like emotional whiplash, but in my experience, it is always healthy to remember and respect the blood that has been spilt for us to be here today.

In my own prayer life, every year on this feast, I take some to reflect on fear. I think it’s safe to say that King Herod was filled with fear. King Herod feared a baby. I know for a grown man, never mind a king, to fear a baby sounds ridiculous, but it is true. Herod feared that the baby Jesus would grow up and take away his power. King Herod acted on that fear, and the consequences were horrific and violent.

We all deal with the consequences of fear. We deal with the consequences of own fears and the fears of those in power. Fear coupled with power can result in violence. This violence has shaped the course of human history, and affects our own lives on a daily basis.

Every year on this day, I turn inward and try to find, confront, and heal the King Herod inside of myself. I ask myself when I have been so full of fear that my heart hardened and turned toward violence? When in my thoughts and my feelings have I been so full of fear that the chatter of my soul was violent? When I have acted like my own little tyrant, seeking to control everything and hold on to every ounce of power that I have?

You may have noticed in all these questions, God doesn’t appear a single time. That’s one of the worst, if not the worst, consequences of fear. In times of fear, we often forget about God and focus on ourselves. We need to be reminded to remember about God. That is the only way we can begin to heal from all this fear.

Every day in my own prayer life, I also take some time to pray for the leaders of the world, especially the ones I did not vote for. I pray that they be given the same opportunities for healing from fear that God has given me in my own life. I pray that whatever traumas they have endured, whatever fears they hold in their hearts, and whatever world view they have that may be warped by violence, that they all may be softened by the grace of God.

It’s important to remember that King Herod had the violent power of a first-century-CE army, but two thousand years later, our leaders have access to nuclear bombs. The potential for the violent consequences of fear mixed with power has never been higher. The importance of our prayer life and our continual turning toward peace and God have never been more important.

Above all else, remember that from the cradle to the crucifix, powerful people were bent on destroying Jesus. They all failed. The power of God is beyond us all. Thank God for that.