Today is the feast day of the Holy Innocents, the boys under the age of 2 killed by King Herod in his attempt to murder the Messiah as a young child. It is recounted in the Book of Matthew. Here is the verse (Matthew Chapter 2: 16-18):
The Massacre of the Infants.16
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
17
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
18
“A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.”
There is debate as to the exact number of children killed during this massacre. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the estimate ranges from a handful of children killed to several thousand. The important part is that the king was desperate to kill a child who could threaten his reign. This is important because many Jews expected the Messiah to be a great military leader who would vanquish the enemies of the Jews.
It is believed that the relics of the bodies of some of the Innocents are located in the major basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.
These children are considered martyrs in deed but not in will, as obviously a child under the age of 2 cannot consent in any way to martyrdom.
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