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:
     Lauren Hansen of The Week featured stories of 9 heroic teens and their incredible acts of bravery. The stories speak that children, even at their very young age, are capable of heroic deeds. This truth is not something new. More than 2,000 years ago, the Holy Innocents had already proven this.
    St. Quodvultdeus explained this when he said: “They cannot speak, yet they bear witness to Christ. They cannot use their limbs to engage in battle, yet already they bear off the palm of victory.“ By their death they have proclaimed they could not preach with their infant voice. They gave witness not by words but their life‘s blood.
     The Holy Innocents offered praise to Christ by the death they suffered for him. Let us learn from them. May our lives also bear witness to the faith we profess with our lips.