Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod.
In this way, what the Lord had said through the prophet was fulfilled: I called my son out of Egypt. When Herod found out that he had
been tricked by the wise men, he was furious. He gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its neighborhood who were two years
old or under. This was done, according to what he had learned from the wise men about the time when the star appeared. In this way, what
the prophet Jeremiah had said was fulfilled: A cry is heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation: Rachel weeps for her children. She refuses
to be comforted, for they are no more.

Reflection:

The wise men having found the child signaled
by the star that appeared in the sky are now going back
home but using a different route. They could not retrace
their steps. They have been renewed by the sight of the
baby in the manger. They come back much more than
they were before. The old roads that they travelled
are things of the past. It is Herod who does not change.
He has not seen the child. And so, when faced with
disappointment he goes back to his old techniques
of misusing his power and authority. He resorts back to
violence, his favorite weapon against his enemies. The sad
thing here is that, he does not even know who his enemy is.
That is why all children from two years old down must
pay the price. The vulnerable ones always pay the price. So
today we honor the weak and the defenseless who paid the
price of our foolishness. May the good Lord raise up men
and women who will fight for them when they could not.