If Christmas falls on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, one Sunday falls between Christmas and Epiphany. That Sunday would be Finding of the Lord in the Temple.
If Christmas falls on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday, two Sundays fall between Christmas and Epiphany. The second Sunday would be Finding of the Lord in the Temple.
If Christmas falls on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday, two Sundays fall between Christmas and Epiphany. The second Sunday would be Finding of the Lord in the Temple.
The flee to Egypt and the Massacre of the Innocents
Gospel: Matthew 2, 13-18
The killing of the innocents
The killing of the innocents, recorded only in Matthew, recalls Herod’s order to kill all male children in Bethlehem under two, fearing the newborn King of the Jews. Amid the joy of Christmas, this tragic event reminds us that the world is often filled with suffering, even for the innocent. Herod responds with violence and fear, while the Holy Family responds with faith and obedience. This contrast reveals two kingdoms: the kingdom of this world, ruled by power and control, and the kingdom of God, marked by humility, love, and transformative peace. Jesus’ birth inaugurates this different kingdom, challenging us to choose whether we live by fear and control or by trust in God and love for others.
Reflection 1
The Massacre of the Innocents refers to the time when Herod ordered the assassination of all male children in Bethlehem two years and younger. He did this in fear of the prophecy that a new born King of the Jews would take his place in power. This event is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, the only Gospel to record the incident.
The "Massacre of the Innocents" is a deeply tragic event and it’s easy to overlook it among the joy and hope associated with the Christmas story. However, in this moment, Matthew is highlighting a painful truth: the world is often filled with suffering, even for the most innocent. Jesus came to bring peace, yet His birth was met with violence.
Herod, the powerful ruler, responds to the birth of Jesus with violence and fear, while the Holy Family responds with faith and obedience. This is a powerful contrast that shows the two kingdoms at work: the kingdom of this world, which often uses power, violence and control to maintain its rule, and the kingdom of God, which uses humility, vulnerability and love to transform the world. Jesus’ coming marks the arrival of a different kind of kingdom—one that turns our usual ways of thinking upside down. It challenges us to examine which "kingdom" we are living in: the one that operates by fear, power, and control or the one that operates by trust in God and love for others.
Joseph's Quiet Strength
Joseph, often overlooked in the Gospels, shows profound strength through his quiet obedience to God’s call, even in the face of fear and uncertainty. His example teaches us that true faith is about trusting and following God’s will, even when it requires sacrifice.
How God might be speaking to us today?
God spoke to Joseph through a dream, guiding him to protect Jesus. This shows us that God often speaks quietly, through dreams, inner promptings or moments of peace. Like Joseph, we are called to listen and trust, even when the way is unclear. God’s voice may be subtle, but He is always guiding us, inviting us to respond with faith and obedience.
The Suffering of the Innocents as a Call to Action
The massacre of the innocent calls to mind the countless innocents who suffer in our world today—through war, poverty, violence or injustice.
What is our response to the suffering of children and the vulnerable?
We are called to not turn away from suffering, but to be agents of God’s justice and mercy in the world.
Reflection by Fr. Martin Hogan
The gospel reading this morning suggests that there are other forces in our world that, like Herod, work to eliminate life, especially when it is at its most vulnerable. The feast of the Holy Innocents reminds us that far too many innocent lives have been and, indeed, are being slaughtered. The sobbing and loud lamenting at the loss of innocent life that is referred to at the end of the gospel reading is all too familiar to our ears today. Yet the forces for life that have been released into the world through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus remain stronger than the forces of death. As baptized believers we can each make those forces for life, that Spirit of life, tangible and visible in the way we live and relate to others.
The 1st of January - New Year's Day- Day of Peace
In 1968, Pope Paul VI declared the first day of the year, a day of peace. It is vital to reflect on the birth of Jesus who is the light of the world, the foundation of love and affection. Jesus is the source of all peace. He is the paraclete, that is, the Counsellor - the giver of inner peace. Let us ask Jesus to penetrate our hearts today and grant us that peace and serenity which cannot be measured, so that we can flood the world with his astounding peace.
“Peace Be With You!”
In his World Day of Peace message, Pope Leo XIV presents peace as the gift of the Risen Christ—a transforming reality rooted in Jesus’ Easter greeting, “Peace be with you” (Jn 20:19). This peace is humble, persevering, and flows from God’s unconditional love, breaking down the walls that divide humanity (cf. Eph 2:14). Peace is light that resists fear, violence, and despair. Drawing on Saint Augustine, the Pope reminds us that peace must first dwell within us to be shared with others. It is a living presence and lifelong journey, protected and nurtured through the witness of peacemakers. As part of the Jubilee of Hope, he calls for a disarmament of hearts and minds so that peace may guide our choices, shape lives and shine even amid darkness and suffering.
Summary of Pope Leo XIV, Message for the World Day of Peace
Do you know the peace of Christ?
This peace is not found outside of Christ, but in a personal relationship with Him. It is a living, dynamic force—liberating, life-giving, full of love and joy. The peace of Christ does not make us immune to pain, suffering, or even death, but it enables us to face these realities with courage, knowing we share in the victory of Christ.
The real peace of Christmas surpasses all human efforts toward peace. It is the eternal peace proclaimed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a peace that has no end. This peace is not temporary but remains through faith in Christ, just as Jesus left His peace with His disciples. It was this peace that sustained them through the early challenges of the Church, and it is the same peace that can support us through the demands, fears, and pressures of our lives. True peace brings reconciliation, safety, harmony, and mutual trust.
Thought for the week
That’s why we must pray and take care of our spirit, because none of us is exempt from being like “Herod.” We all have the potential to let fear, pride, or insecurity lead us to harm others, even unintentionally.
Gospel: Matthew 2, 13-18
The killing of the innocents
The killing of the innocents, recorded only in Matthew, recalls Herod’s order to kill all male children in Bethlehem under two, fearing the newborn King of the Jews. Amid the joy of Christmas, this tragic event reminds us that the world is often filled with suffering, even for the innocent. Herod responds with violence and fear, while the Holy Family responds with faith and obedience. This contrast reveals two kingdoms: the kingdom of this world, ruled by power and control, and the kingdom of God, marked by humility, love, and transformative peace. Jesus’ birth inaugurates this different kingdom, challenging us to choose whether we live by fear and control or by trust in God and love for others.
Reflection 1
The Massacre of the Innocents refers to the time when Herod ordered the assassination of all male children in Bethlehem two years and younger. He did this in fear of the prophecy that a new born King of the Jews would take his place in power. This event is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, the only Gospel to record the incident.
The "Massacre of the Innocents" is a deeply tragic event and it’s easy to overlook it among the joy and hope associated with the Christmas story. However, in this moment, Matthew is highlighting a painful truth: the world is often filled with suffering, even for the most innocent. Jesus came to bring peace, yet His birth was met with violence.
Herod, the powerful ruler, responds to the birth of Jesus with violence and fear, while the Holy Family responds with faith and obedience. This is a powerful contrast that shows the two kingdoms at work: the kingdom of this world, which often uses power, violence and control to maintain its rule, and the kingdom of God, which uses humility, vulnerability and love to transform the world. Jesus’ coming marks the arrival of a different kind of kingdom—one that turns our usual ways of thinking upside down. It challenges us to examine which "kingdom" we are living in: the one that operates by fear, power, and control or the one that operates by trust in God and love for others.
Joseph's Quiet Strength
Joseph, often overlooked in the Gospels, shows profound strength through his quiet obedience to God’s call, even in the face of fear and uncertainty. His example teaches us that true faith is about trusting and following God’s will, even when it requires sacrifice.
How God might be speaking to us today?
God spoke to Joseph through a dream, guiding him to protect Jesus. This shows us that God often speaks quietly, through dreams, inner promptings or moments of peace. Like Joseph, we are called to listen and trust, even when the way is unclear. God’s voice may be subtle, but He is always guiding us, inviting us to respond with faith and obedience.
The Suffering of the Innocents as a Call to Action
The massacre of the innocent calls to mind the countless innocents who suffer in our world today—through war, poverty, violence or injustice.
What is our response to the suffering of children and the vulnerable?
We are called to not turn away from suffering, but to be agents of God’s justice and mercy in the world.
Reflection by Fr. Martin Hogan
The gospel reading this morning suggests that there are other forces in our world that, like Herod, work to eliminate life, especially when it is at its most vulnerable. The feast of the Holy Innocents reminds us that far too many innocent lives have been and, indeed, are being slaughtered. The sobbing and loud lamenting at the loss of innocent life that is referred to at the end of the gospel reading is all too familiar to our ears today. Yet the forces for life that have been released into the world through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus remain stronger than the forces of death. As baptized believers we can each make those forces for life, that Spirit of life, tangible and visible in the way we live and relate to others.
The 1st of January - New Year's Day- Day of Peace
In 1968, Pope Paul VI declared the first day of the year, a day of peace. It is vital to reflect on the birth of Jesus who is the light of the world, the foundation of love and affection. Jesus is the source of all peace. He is the paraclete, that is, the Counsellor - the giver of inner peace. Let us ask Jesus to penetrate our hearts today and grant us that peace and serenity which cannot be measured, so that we can flood the world with his astounding peace.
“Peace Be With You!”
In his World Day of Peace message, Pope Leo XIV presents peace as the gift of the Risen Christ—a transforming reality rooted in Jesus’ Easter greeting, “Peace be with you” (Jn 20:19). This peace is humble, persevering, and flows from God’s unconditional love, breaking down the walls that divide humanity (cf. Eph 2:14). Peace is light that resists fear, violence, and despair. Drawing on Saint Augustine, the Pope reminds us that peace must first dwell within us to be shared with others. It is a living presence and lifelong journey, protected and nurtured through the witness of peacemakers. As part of the Jubilee of Hope, he calls for a disarmament of hearts and minds so that peace may guide our choices, shape lives and shine even amid darkness and suffering.
Summary of Pope Leo XIV, Message for the World Day of Peace
Do you know the peace of Christ?
This peace is not found outside of Christ, but in a personal relationship with Him. It is a living, dynamic force—liberating, life-giving, full of love and joy. The peace of Christ does not make us immune to pain, suffering, or even death, but it enables us to face these realities with courage, knowing we share in the victory of Christ.
The real peace of Christmas surpasses all human efforts toward peace. It is the eternal peace proclaimed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a peace that has no end. This peace is not temporary but remains through faith in Christ, just as Jesus left His peace with His disciples. It was this peace that sustained them through the early challenges of the Church, and it is the same peace that can support us through the demands, fears, and pressures of our lives. True peace brings reconciliation, safety, harmony, and mutual trust.
Thought for the week
That’s why we must pray and take care of our spirit, because none of us is exempt from being like “Herod.” We all have the potential to let fear, pride, or insecurity lead us to harm others, even unintentionally.
Another Nazareth
"I think the world today is upside-down, and is suffering so much, because there is so very little love in the homes and in family life. We have no time for our children, we have no time for each other; there is no time to enjoy each other. If we could only bring back into our lives the life that Jesus, Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth, if we could make our home another Nazareth, I think that peace and joy would reign in the world." ( Mother Teresa of Calcutta)
"I think the world today is upside-down, and is suffering so much, because there is so very little love in the homes and in family life. We have no time for our children, we have no time for each other; there is no time to enjoy each other. If we could only bring back into our lives the life that Jesus, Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth, if we could make our home another Nazareth, I think that peace and joy would reign in the world." ( Mother Teresa of Calcutta)