Holy Innocent Infant Martyrs – Dec 27 I Holy Innocent Martyrs not only died for Christ but instead of Christ

Published by Jacob P Varghese on

Christ is born! Glorify Him!

Every year we observe 25th December as the Feast of Incarnation of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. On 26th December, we glorify Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. On 27th December, we commemorate the infant martyrs, who sacrificed their lives as a result of the wrath of the King Herod. Feast of Holy Innocents is the often, yet another overlooked feast day of the Church, drowned in the festivities and fanfare of Christmas. We honour and remember the Holy Innocent Martyrs who not only died for Christ but instead of Christ, who were slew by Herod’s men in attempt to kill the Jewish Messiah.

The Church honours all who die in a state of innocence and consoles parents of dead children with the conviction that these also will share the glory of the infant companions of Jesus. We, those who are fortunate enough to receive the love and care of parents, should remember the many children dying in a tender age, and those children who crave for parental love and care, there are children who have been victims of various vices.  Herod’s slaughter was not an isolated case. Children have been sacrificed, slaughtered, abused, starved, and destroyed. These innocent and weak children are left to the decisions of more powerful and controlling adults walking in darkness.

The Massacre of the innocents is an episode of mass infanticide by Herod the Great, King of Judea, (Matt. 2: 16-18). Herod ‘the Great’, King of Judea, was unpopular with his people because of his connections with the Romans and his religious indifference. He was a master politician and a tyrant capable of extreme brutality. 

When King Herod finally realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi and that his scheme to find the Child was in vain, so he felt insecure and fearful of any threat to his throne. He ordered that all the male children two years old and younger in the village of Bethlehem and its vicinity be killed, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a new born King of the Jews whose birth had been announced to him by the Magi. He thought that the divine Infant, Whom he considered a rival, would be among the dead children. This incident is introduced as the fulfillment of passages in the Old Testament read as prophecies, that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, – “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children” (Matt. 2: 18).

The murdered infants thus became the first martyrs for Christ. Holy Innocent Children, 14,000 Infants were slain by Herod at Bethlehem.  These babies lived in Bethlehem around the time that Christ was born, for a short time. None of them were older than two years old. The Church recognizes the Holy Innocents as the first martyrs to be killed for Jesus.

The rage of Herod fell also on Prophet Simon. When the holy elder died, Herod would not give permission for him to be properly buried. On the orders of King Herod, priest Zachariah was also killed. He was murdered in Jerusalem between the Temple and the altar (Matt. 23: 35) because he would not tell the whereabouts of his son John, the future Baptist of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Elizabeth, having heard that they were searching for John, took him and went up into the hill-country, and kept looking where to conceal him. And there was no place of concealment. 
And Mary, having heard that the children were being killed, was afraid, and took the infant and swaddled Him, and put Him into an ox-stall. When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Get up, he said, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him. So, he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet Hosea: “Out of Egypt I called my Son” (Matt. 2: 15). 

The wrath of God soon fell upon Herod himself: a horrid condition struck him down and he died, eaten by worms while still alive. The commemoration of the massacre of these ‘Holy Innocents Infants’ considered by Christians as the first martyrs for Christ is on December 27 and some other Churches on 28 or 29 December or later. We have Churches in the name of Holy Innocents. One such Holy Innocents’ Orthodox Church (Valiya Pally), popularly known as Mezhuveli Valiyapally.

May the prayers and intercessions of the holy infants help in making this world a paradise for the young ones! Pray unto God for us! Glory be to God for all things!


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