The Dark Story of the Nativity
How many Holy Innocents were killed by King Herod?
Ever since the 5th century the Church has commemorated a separate day in memory of the children killed by King Herod after Jesus’ birth. Matthew is the only one to record the event and the details surrounding it are slim.
Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. – Matthew 2:16
This type of senseless action was typical of Herod, a deranged ruler who also killed his wife and two sons during his lifetime. Herod’s immediate response to those who opposed him was to eliminate them.
The biblical episode is usually labeled a “massacre,” to emphasize the ruthless spilling of innocent blood. It was a terrible act, though it pales in comparison to the modern day killing of innocent children throughout the world.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “The Greek Liturgy asserts that Herod killed 14,000 boys (ton hagion id chiliadon Nepion), the Syrians speak of 64,000, [and] many medieval authors of 144,000.” However, this number of children is greater than the entire population of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth.
Professor William F. Albright “estimates that the population of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth to be about 300 people. The number of male children, two years old or younger, would be about six or seven.” Other scholars claim the number was between 10 – 20 male children in Bethlehem and the surrounding area.
This low number of deaths is the likely explanation for why there exist no secular historical accounts of the massacre. Simply put, a handful of children killed by a local ruler was not “noteworthy” enough.
Regardless of how many children were killed, their deaths were a horrible atrocity, and Jesus could have been part of that number if Joseph had not been warned to flee beforehand.
The Church’s commemoration of the event reminds us of the sanctity of all human life. In the end it doesn’t matter how many children were killed. The Church honors their memory whether it was 100 children or a single child that was killed.
All life is precious, especially any innocent child killed at the beginning of life.
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Quddiesa u Rużarju mill-Kurja tal-Arċisqof - 28 ta' Diċembru
Holy Mass Readings on December 28
Reading 1 1 Jn 1:5–2:2
Responsorial Psalm Ps 124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8
Alleluia - See Te Deum
Gospel Mt 2:13-18
Dec 28 - Holy Innocents, martyrs --- Mt 2:13-18 -- The Escape to Egypt - Il-ħarba lejn l-Eġittu
--- DECEMBER 28 - THE HOLY INNOCENTS, MARTYRS ---
Evanġelju
Mt 2, 13-18
Evanġelju
Mt 2, 13-18
Qari mill-Evanġelju skont San Mattew.
[Mt:2:13] Meta telqu l-maġi, deher anġlu tal-Mulej f''ħolma lil Ġużeppi u qallu: "Qum, ħu miegħek lit-tifel u 'l ommu, u aħrab lejn l-Eġittu. Ibqa' hemm sa ma ngħidlek jien, għax Erodi se jfittex lit-tifel biex joqtlu.
[Mt:2:14] Ġużeppi qam, ħa miegħu lit-tifel u 'l ommu bil-lejl u warrab lejn l-Eġittu, [Mt:2:15] u baqa' hemmhekk sal-mewt ta' Erodi, biex hekk iseħħ dak li kien qal il-Mulej permezz tal-profeta, meta qal, ‘Mill-Eġittu sejjaħt lil ibni.’ [Mt:2:16] Erodi mbagħad, meta ra li l-maġi kienu għaddewh ta’ tifel, inkorla bis-sħiħ, u bagħat joqtol f'Betlehem u fl-inħawi kollha tagħha lit-tfal subjien kollha ta' minn sentejn 'l isfel, skond iż-żmien li sar jaf mingħand il-maġi. [Mt:2:17] Mbagħad seħħ dak li kien ingħad permezz tal-profeta Ġeremija, meta qal, [Mt:2:18] 'F'Rama nstama' leħen, biki u lfiq kbir: Rakel tibki lil uliedha u ma tridx min ifarraġha, għax ma għadhomx iżjed.’
Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
R/. Tifħir lilek Kristu.
R/. Tifħir lilek Kristu.
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Dec 28 - HOMILY: The Devil, Herod and the Holy Innocents
An evil of this magnitude must be demonically inspired...and the Lord said that only prayer and fasting can cast out certain demons ...
Homily: Pray and Fast to end Abortion
Video published on 22 January 2020
"UNPLANNED" Movie Changes Hearts in Mexico.
Over 7,000 women have asked for help NOT to have an abortion after seeing this movie, Unplanned.
Pope to Filipino authorities: Protect the unborn's right to life
Included in THE DIDACHE (written around 70 AD - only around 40 years after the death of Jesus Christ - and discovered around 1873)
“...Do not murder children in abortion, nor kill that which is born...”
Remember: From the instant of His conception, the Word made flesh begins to teach man more fully who man is.
Fr. Mark Goring - LOVE BEYOND ALL TELLING
Pope Francis denounces “false compassion” behind abortion and euthanasia - Published on Nov 17, 2014
THE ENDING PRAYER OF THE HOLY ROSARY -
O God, who desired Your Word to become a human being in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary the angel announcing it: grant to your supplicants; that we who believe truly in the Mother of God, may be helped in Your sight by her intercessions, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
O Alla, int li ridt li mat-tħabbira tal-Anġlu, l-Iben tiegħek isir bniedem fil-ġuf tal-Verġni Mqaddsa Marija, agħtina nitolbuk, lilna li nistqarruha Omm Alla, li nkunu mgħejjuna mit-talb tagħha, bl-istess Kristu Sidna. Ammen.
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Absolution of Abortion during Year of Mercy explained: Confession, Forgiveness, Mercy - Published on 4 Sep 2015
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Saint Faustina and abortion - from her diary - no. 1276
1276 September 16, 1937. I wanted very much to make a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament today, but God’s will was otherwise. At eight o’clock I was seized with such violent pains that I had to go to bed at once. I was convulsed with pain for three hours; that is, until eleven o’clock at night. No medicine had any effect on me, and whatever I swallowed I threw up. At times, the pains caused me to lose consciousness. Jesus had me realize that in this way I took part in His Agony in the Garden, and that He Himself allowed these sufferings in order to make reparation to God for the souls murdered in the wombs of wicked mothers. I have gone through these sufferings three times now. They always start at eight o’clock in the evening and last until eleven. No medicine can lessen these sufferings. When eleven o’clock comes, they cease by themselves, and I fall asleep at that moment. The following day, I feel very weak.“This happened to me the first time when I was at the sanatorium. The doctors couldn’t get to the bottom of it, and no injection or medicine helped me at all nor did I myself have any idea of what the sufferings were about. I told the doctor that never before in my life had I experienced such sufferings, and he declared he did not know what sort of pains they are. But now I understand the nature of these pains, because the Lord himself has made this known to me. Yet when I think that I may perhaps suffer in this way again, I tremble. But I don’t know whether I’ll ever again suffer in this way; I leave that to God. What it pleases God to send, I will accept with submission and love. If only I could save even one soul from murder by means of these sufferings!
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These paragraphs are very powerful, and when we contemplate the meaning of the "three hours" of her pain we can know even to a greater degree how she was called by Christ to truly suffer with Him, for precisely the number of hours we are told He suffered, and for the sake of children murdered by abortion.http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?number=370686&Pg=&Pgnu=&recnu=
Something to keep in mind is that Saint Faustina was a victim soul. God called her to experience suffering on behalf of the world’s sins. As Christians, God calls all of us to pray for mercy on behalf of our own sins and the sins of the world. Saint Faustina’s Diary is not her own. She was God’s instrument to express His thoughts to the world. This diary is a diary of mercy not judgment. It is the mercy of God we seek in prayer, not the judgment of God. There are many women who have had abortions who today very much wish they had not. Jesus gave us the Divine Mercy Chaplet as a means to seek His mercy for all souls. And certainly it is no coincidence that Jesus arranged that the Divine Mercy Chaplet could be prayed using His Mother’s beads.
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Pro Life Power: The Rosary
https://sites.google.com/site/faithfulcatholics/Home/living-the-gospel-of-life/articles/writings-of-father-jim-whalen/pro-life-power-the-rosary
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Prayer for Life
O God, our Creator,
all life is in your hands from conception until death.
Help us to cherish our children
and to reverence the awesome privilege
of our share in creation.
May all people live and die in dignity and love.
Bless all those who defend the rights of
the unborn, the handicapped and the aged.
Enlighten and be merciful toward those who fail to love,
and give them peace.
Let freedom be tempered by responsibility,
integrity and morality.
Amen
FROM POPE FRANCIS' DOCUMENT 'MISERICORDIA ET MISERA --- MERCY AND MISERY, signed on 20th NOVEMBER 2016, the end of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
Pope Francis: All priests will be able to absolve from the sin of abortion - Published on Nov 21, 2016
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