Rachel weeping for her children

December 28, 2022 - Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs

Matthew 2:13-18

Narrating for us the story of Jesus’ birth and his early years (Matt 1-2), Matthew includes five prophetic statements. He likes to use the number five associated with the five Books of Moses. It helps him to present Jesus as a new Moses who leads the people out of slavery to sin. Today we have two prophetic statements: one coming from prophet Hosea (Hosea 11:1), the other from prophet Jeremiah (Jer 31:15).

The first statement, ‘out of Egypt I called my son’, presents Jesus as a new Israel. In the book Exodus, God instructs Moses to tell the Pharaoh of Egypt that Israel is his firstborn son and he should set God’s people free (Ex 4:22-23). By using the words of Hosea, Matthew is telling us that Jesus is about to begin a new Exodus and establish a new Israel composed of those Jews and Gentiles who believe in him.

The second statement about Rachel - symbolising the mother of the nation - weeping for her children comes from Jeremiah. It prepares us for the message of the Gospel with its comfort, hope, and restoration. The passage refers to the first deportation of the Jewish people to Babylon gathered at Ramah to begin their journey into exile. Jeremiah was among them, but he was allowed to return to Jerusalem. That would also be the experience of the entire nation - they would return.

In today’s Gospel, Herod plays the role of Pharaoh and the oppressive Babylonian masters. He tried to kill Jesus, the saviour of the world, and he oppressed his people. The cruelty of Herod is documented by historians. Anyone who challenged his authority was executed. He did not even spare his wife and his three sons. And so murdering a few children who were posing a threat to his power would not present a problem for him.

The tragic death of those innocent children foretold the cruel death of Jesus. And as Rachel was weeping for her children, so was Mary, according to Church’s tradition, weeping for her son. But if the children are no more is there hope beyond tragedy? The answer to such tragic events is our faith in the resurrection. Our God “is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive” (Luke 20:38). The Holy Innocents are alive with God, and the Church regards them as saints and martyrs.