Holy Innocents Day

FLIGHT INTO EGYPT, MASSACRE OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS, THE RETURN TO NAZARETH - St Matt 2:13-23

And after they were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying (a): Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him. Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod: That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry; and sending killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying: A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel (b) bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. But when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph in Egypt, Saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel. For they are dead that sought the life of the child. Who arose, and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the room of Herod his father, he was afraid to go thither: (c) and being warned in sleep retired into the quarters of Galilee. And coming he dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was said by prophets: That he shall be called a Nazarene.

Commentary:

a. Joseph is treated as the one with authority in the Holy Family: it is to him the Angel speaks: he who arranges the journey and provides everything. Authority is attached to office, not to knowledge or holiness.

b. Rachel's tomb was close to Bethlehem

c. He had proposed the settling in Bethlehem, the country which the Prophet had assigned to the expected Saviour

Meditation after Rev. Canon Alfred Weber's "The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ or The four Gospels Harmonized"