The Holy Children who were murdered by Herod in Bethlehem; Our Venerable Father Marcellus, Hegumen of the Monastery of the Sleepless Ones (c. 470)
No fasting or abstinence.
Read
Hebrews 11:8,11-16; Mark 9:33-41
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
In the Book of Psalms, the Psalmist speaks of children being an inheritance from the Lord; a reward for those who have them and the one who is truly blessed is he or she who has many of them. While not all couples are able to have a quiver full of children, the presence of children in one’s life is a great blessing. They are exuberant, full of energy, joy, and most importantly, love.
Christ reminds His disciples in today’s Gospel that they are to be like children. Why? First of all, because children have great faith. Their faith in their father or mother does not waver; they show their complete trust that their mother or father will be there to help them with whatever they need. Our faith in God needs to be child-like; we need to have faith in our Father that He will take care of us at all times.
Second, we are called to be like children because of their love. Any parent can tell you that the love of their young child toward them is unparalleled. That love is an example of the love God has for us: unrestricted and without end.
On this feast of the Holy Innocents, we remember especially the millions of loving children that have been killed in abortions all over the world. These millions of children were never able to share their trust and love with those around them. May we always remember to welcome children in our midst for they are a great blessing from the Lord.