The Feast of the Holy Innocents | Wednesday 28 December 2022

Today is Wednesday the 28th of December, the feast of the Holy Innocents.


Paul Zach sings, ‘Christmas Communion Song’.


Lay the gift into our hands
God with us here in our world
Bread and wine, God we commend
We receive your mercy Lord
Even the hands that we're holding you with
Even the eyes that behold
All that we have and we hold is your gift
All that we're made of is yours
Give us the body and give us the blood
Give us the heartbeat and breath
Give us love yourself
Nothing here won by our hands
All is grace nothing we earned
Here like poor shepherds we stand
We receive your mercy lord
Even the songs that we're praising you with
Even the offering we bring
All that we make and we do is your gift
All that we give to our king
You are the body and you are the blood
You are the heartbeat and breath
You are love itself
Let your gifts flow through our hands
From your heart into the world
Reaching out to every land
We receive your mercy lord
Even the roads that we travel today
Even the cold and the mud
Even the smoke rising up as we pray
These are the gifts you confer
Live in our bodies and live in our blood
Live in our heartbeat and breath

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 2:13-18

Now after the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’

When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
‘A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’

In this season, seemingly dedicated to peace and goodwill, how does this feast day speak to you?

Herod is supposed to be the authority here, the king. This cruel response to his frustration seems unbelievably brutal. As the family races towards safety, many others will suffer through misuse of power. What are your feelings at this time? Do you see this injustice in the world around you?


‘Rachel weeping for her children’. As you listen to the reading again, notice that there is personal loss here. Joseph and his family exiled from all they know, innocent families facing a lifetime of sorrow. In the midst of joy there are tears. How does this speak to you?

In a time of prayer, share your thoughts with the Lord and ask for his guidance.


Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.