Saturday Dec 29 2024 / Jan 11 2025 ns • The 14,000 Holy Infants slain by Herod, St. Márkellos ~ No Fasting ~ Saturday after Nativity: I St. Tim. 6:11-16; St. Matt. 12:15-21 ~ LOVE FOR OUR NEIGHBOR IS A MEANS OF ATTAINING LOVE FOR GOD

The 14,000 Holy Innocents slain by Herod

St. Márkellos

~ No Fasting ~

When the Magi from the east did not return to Jerusalem from Bethlehem to inform Herod about the newborn King but rather, at the angel's command, returned to their homeland another way, Herod became as enraged as a wild beast and ordered all the children two years old and under in Bethlehem and its surroundings to be killed. This frightening command of the king was carried out to the letter. His soldiers beheaded some of the children with swords, smashed others against stones, trampled others underfoot, and strangled others with their hands. And the cries and wails of the mothers rose to heaven, Lamentation, and bitter weeping;

Rachel weeping for her children (Jeremiah 31:15, St. Matt. 2:18),

as had been prophesied.

Herod Antipas (Gr. anti=all; pas=against)

This crime against the multitude of innocent children was carried out a year after the birth of Christ, at the time when Herod was seeking to find the Divine Child. He asked Zacharias about his son John, so that he might kill him, since he naturally thought that John was the new king. As Zacharias did not turn John over, he was slain in the Temple by order of Herod. St. Simeon the God-receiver would also have been murdered soon after the Presentation in the Temple, had he not already reposed in God.

After murdering the children of Bethlehem, Herod turned against the Jewish elders who had revealed to him where the Messiah would be born. He then killed Hyrcanes, the high priest, and the seventy elders of the Sanhedrin. Thus, they who had agreed with Herod that the new Child-king must be killed came to an evil end. After that, Herod murdered his brother, sister, wife and three sons.

Finally, God's punishment came to him: he began to tremble, his legs became swollen, the lower part of his body became putrid, and worms came out of the sores; his nose became blocked and an unbearable stench emanated from him. 

Before his last breath, he remembered that there were many captive Jews in prison, and he ordered that they all be killed so that they would not rejoice in his death. Thus, this terrible ruler gave up his inhuman soul and handed it over to the devil for eternal possession.

1 Saint Timothy 6:11-16 KJV 

11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;

14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

Saint Matthew 12:15-21 KJV

15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

16 And charged them that they should not make him known:

17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

HYMN OF PRAISE

The Fourteen Thousand Holy Children of Bethlehem

✜

A VOICE IN RAMA WAS HEARD

and much weeping,

And sorrowful mothers crying out to God.

In blood lay the slaughtered children,

And, over them, sorrowful mothers lamented.

The city of David, with all the surrounding region, moans;

Heaven was horrified at the misdeed of men;

Heaven and earth were horrified and quaked,

When the screams of the innocent pierced the air.

The blow intended for the Son of God

Fell with its weight on the innocent children,

Upon young and helpless ones of the same age as Christ.

The servants of the wicked king attacked

Where the angels of God sang

And where Christ's shepherds humbly knelt.

There a torrent of blood flowed.

Why? In order that Herod would always be first!

As soon as the Eternal Physician appeared on earth,

The earth revealed its wounds and sins,

Showing how much mankind is infected,

And how necessary healing from heaven is.

Upon the young forerunners of His suffering,

Christ bestowed the eternal joy of Paradise.

LOVE FOR OUR NEIGHBOR
IS A MEANS OF ATTAINING
LOVE FOR GOD

Taken from 
"THE ARENA"
by Saint Ignaty Brianchaninov

The Savior of the world summarized all His particular commands in two main, general commandments: “‘You shall love the Lord your God,’” He said, “‘with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Although the commandment of love for God is as far superior to the commandment of love for God’s image (man) as God is superior to His image, yet the commandment of love for our neighbor serves as a foundation for the commandment of love for God. He who has not laid the foundation labors in vain to construct a building; it cannot possibly stand without the foundation. By love for our neighbor we enter into love for God. A Christian’s love for God is love for Christ, and love for our neighbor is love for Christ in our neighbor. By loving our neighbor—by loving him in the Lord, that is, as the Lord commands us—we acquire love for Christ, and love for Christ is love for God.

The union of love for God with love for our neighbor is superbly explained in the epistles of the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. It is impossible to love God, according to St John’s teaching, without first loving one’s brother. And love for one’s brother consists in carrying out the Lord’s commandments in this regard. The same teaching is given by the holy directors of monasticism. St Anthony the Great says, “On our neighbor depends life and death (of the soul). By winning our brother we win God; by offending our brother we sin against Christ.” St John Kolovos, one of the greatest Fathers of the Egyptian Scetis, says, “It is not possible to build a house by beginning from the top, but the structure must be begun from the foundation and built up to the roof.” When asked what the foundation meant, he replied, “The foundation is our neighbor. We must win him and begin with him. On him are based all the commandments of Christ.” St Mark the Ascetic says, “It is impossible to be saved other than through one’s neighbor.” This is what is held and taught by all the holy Fathers; this is the general Christian teaching, the teaching of the Church, the teaching of Christ.

Direct all your attention to the acquisition of love for your neighbor as the basis of your life and your [spiritual] task. Love your neighbor according to the dictates of the commandments of the Gospel, not at all according to the dictates and impulses of your heart. The love planted by God in our nature was damaged by the fall and cannot act correctly. On no account allow it to act! Its actions have lost their purity; they are abominable in God’s sight, like a polluted sacrifice. The fruits of its actions are soul-destroying, deadly.

Love your neighbor in the following way:
Do not get angry with him and do not bear resentment or a grudge against him.
Do not allow yourself to say to your neighbor any reproachful, abusive, sarcastic, or caustic words. Maintain peace with him as far as possible. Humble yourself in his presence.
Do not try to have your revenge on him either directly or indirectly. Whenever possible, yield to him. Get out of the habit of arguing and quarrelling, and reject it as a sign of pride and self-love.  Speak well of those who speak evil of you.

Pay good for evil. Pray for those who cause you various offenses, wrongs, temptations, persecutions. Whatever you do, on no account condemn anyone; do not even try to judge whether a person is good or bad, but keep your eyes on that one evil person for whom you must give an account before God—yourself.

Treat your neighbors as you would like them to treat you.
Forgive and pardon men their offenses against you from the depth of your heart, so that your heavenly Father may forgive you your countless offenses, your terrible debt of sin that can easily cast you down and confine you for all eternity in the prisons of hell.

Do not acquire attachment, especially impure passion, for your neighbor; by the term neighbor is meant not only the male but the female sex as well.

If, however, you are wounded by a dart of the enemy and are somehow unexpectedly poisoned by it, do not despond, knowing that we have an inherent proneness to be infected by every kind of passion and that even great saints suffered in this way. Make every effort and put all your energy into the healing of yourself.

Finally, do not harm your brother by talkativeness, gossip, close acquaintance, and familiar conduct with him. If you avoid these pitfalls in regard to your neighbor, you will show and acquire for him the love commanded by God and pleasing to God; thereby you will open the way for yourself to the love of God.