The children of Bethlehem killed by King Herod in his attempt to destroy the infant Jesus.
Life
The Holy Innocents are the young children of Bethlehem described in the Gospel of Matthew. When King Herod heard from the Magi that a king of the Jews had been born, he saw a threat to his throne and ordered the killing of all boys two years old and under in Bethlehem and its surroundings.
Warned by an angel in a dream, Joseph fled to Egypt with the Child Jesus and Mary. The Gospel compares the tragedy to Rachel weeping in Ramah. Neither the number nor the names of the children have come down to us. From early times the Church has honored these infants, who could not yet confess the faith in words but lost their lives in place of Christ, as martyrs, remembering them on December 28.
Spirituality
The Holy Innocents show that God never forgets the suffering of the powerless. Their witness was not in words but in their very lives. Through these children the Church is called to protect the dignity of every life and to stand with the weak against violence and the lust for power.
Reflection
Even today many children suffer from war, poverty and violence. As we remember the Christ Child of Christmas, could you consider what you might do for the children and vulnerable people around you?