A reflection on the 29th Sunday after Pentecost.
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.” Mt 2:13
Christ is Born! Let us Glorify Him!
This Saturday, I was in my home chapel with my girls Mia and Lucy. I was lighting the icon lamps as remembered that on that day, the Church commemorates the Holy innocents; the 14,000 male baby boys that were brutally and demonically slaughtered at the hands of king Herod due to the threat of his kingship.
Therefore, I brought my girls over to the icon of the Holy Innocents and gave them a quick; not so graphic explanation of this horrendous event. Which made me think a little out of the box so to speak and write this reflection.
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: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Mt 2:14-15
It shouldn't happen and it truly breaks my heart to hear of a child dying or being killed. However, the sad and grim reality is that it happens every single day. When I hear stories of children being killed at the hands of monsters or in accidents and/or being aborted by the parents it honestly breaks my heart. These little innocent children of God the loving Father weren't even given a chance in life!
On the topic of abortion it's one thing when the doctor advises to abort the pregnancy because the mothers life will be jeopardized if it were to continue. However, it's another thing when it's a normal healthy pregnancy and the child is killed just because the mother sees it as an inconvenience!
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled Mt 2:16-17
My wife and I just like many others couples, had a hard time falling pregnant. So many couples resort to IVF which you need to refinance your mortgage in order to afford it, due to the insane costs associated with the procedure. Then you have some people that are blessed to fall pregnant at the drop of a hat and they kill the child because they don't want it. This scenario is replayed on a daily basis and it hurts and frustrates me as it does many others also.
Thus, as true Orthodox Christians rather than blame or point the finger at the people that abort the innocent, our job is simply to pray for them that God will help them change their mind and reconsider their options. Lets not be like the crazies that form a picket fence in front of the abortion clinics shouting and condemning. We must act with love just as Jesus commands - “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Jn 13:34
Hence, each and every time I celebrate the Divine Liturgy at the proscomedia (preparing of the gifts) I will always pray for all children that have lost their lives in all circumstances but also for those who have been aborted in what's meant to be the safest place in the world - their mother's womb!
“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” Mt 2:18
Having stated thus, each case is different and abortion cannot be placed into one big category. You have the woman who wants to abort due to the inconvenience, the woman or child that was raped, the mother that would die if she continued with the pregnancy and so on. This I where I strongly recommend a person seek the help of the Church from the priests and/or bishops to resolve the issue. The Church has and will always fight to defend a life! Life is a gift that only comes from God the creator/Pantocrator! No one at any point has the right to take that away from anyone, Period!
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” Mt 2:19-20
Thus, what can we expect from Godless people? Lets face it, the institutional church's have destroyed the people in all aspects of the word - physically and spiritually! What good have churches done in the past 100 years besides feed their own egos?
Therefore, people have rightly had enough and lost credibility, thus abandoning God all together. Well done to the institutional churches! I sarcastically applaud you. Part of the reason why things are the way they are is because you have failed the people due to the pride, lust for power, jealousy and simony, the clergy placed before the peoples salvation!
Thus, if we all play our part in the path to salvation with the help of the All-Holy-Trinity we will move mountains!
In conclusion, by our actions and with our prayers, the children of God will slowly but surely return to God and just like the story of the prodigal son, there will be much rejoicing, for even when one child returns to God, All of heaven rejoices!
So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene. Mt 2:21-23
Through the prayers of the Holy Theotokos, Her betrothed Joseph step Father of Jesus, and of all the Saints commemorate this day, Lord Jesus Christ Son of the Living God Have Mercy on us and Save us. Amen
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