Arabic original here.
The Herods of Syria
The event of Christ's birth is tied to the tragic event of the killing of "fourteen thousand children" at the orders of Herod, the king of Judea. Herod could not bear for someone to be born who would threaten his authority and speak the truth in his presence. He committed the massacre of thousands of children in order to insure the continuation of his rule and his power over people.
The child-killer Herod is still alive and well. He has not died. From the dawn of history until today, how many Herods have ruled, tyrannized, been exalted, then feel and slept under the ground?
Even so, he has not died. He has worn various garbs and and put on various clothes. He has spoken all the languages of the world. He has taken the colors of every race and nation. He is white, black, yellow and red. He might be a man at one time and a woman at another time.
He takes different forms from one generation to another and he has no lack of grooming in this age. In all situations there are those who laud and applaud him and grant him obedience and loyalty, pledging him to be the ruler of themselves and their tribe.
Herod might be wrapped in the garb of secularism, socialism, nationalism or any other ideology... He might put on the mantle of religious leaders and hide behind religious or sectarian slogans. But he remains the Herod who does not see his glory remain and grow as quickly as the number of victims piled up in mass graves.
"Herod, who seeks the young child's life, is dead." With these words, the angel brought the good news to Joseph, the betrothed of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. The angel brings good tidings of the dead of King Herod who ordered the destruction of all the children of Bethlehem under the age of two so that Christ might perish among those babies. The angel appears to Joseph in a dream and asks him to return with the baby Jesus from the land of Egypt to the land of Palestine, after the one who was seeking to kill Him died. The death is wonderful news brought by the angel, the angel of good tidings, to Joseph.
Yes, news of Herod's death was joyous news that brought good tidings to many, among them Joseph and Mary. We are not sinning if we rejoice and and glad with them. Death is true, as people say. There must come the day when a person dies and goes from this world to the next. But Herod's death did not prevent Christ's crucifixion and killing. Herod is not a closed-off and isolated individual. One Herod grows and sprouts another Herod, and on and on until time ends and God inherits the earth and everything upon it.
In Syria today there is not one Herod, but rather many Herods who consider it permissible to commit massacres, killings, beheadings and forced expulsions. All the Herods of the world have come together against Syria, like hungry vultures circling over corpses. The Herods are Syrian, Arab and foreign. Or, you could say the Draculas of this age, satisfied only by more Syrian blood.
When will those who seek to kill the child die? This is not merely a question. It is an ardent prayer that we raise up on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, the King of Peace. When will they die? A question as a prayer from the heart bearing hope, as we are the children of hope, that there will be an end to the shedding of the blood of innocents. Your Nativity, O Christ, fills us with gladness, joy and delight. But it is also our right to be glad, rejoice and delight when when we hear that one of the Herods has died, and how much more so if it were all of them!
The Herods of Syria
The event of Christ's birth is tied to the tragic event of the killing of "fourteen thousand children" at the orders of Herod, the king of Judea. Herod could not bear for someone to be born who would threaten his authority and speak the truth in his presence. He committed the massacre of thousands of children in order to insure the continuation of his rule and his power over people.
The child-killer Herod is still alive and well. He has not died. From the dawn of history until today, how many Herods have ruled, tyrannized, been exalted, then feel and slept under the ground?
Even so, he has not died. He has worn various garbs and and put on various clothes. He has spoken all the languages of the world. He has taken the colors of every race and nation. He is white, black, yellow and red. He might be a man at one time and a woman at another time.
He takes different forms from one generation to another and he has no lack of grooming in this age. In all situations there are those who laud and applaud him and grant him obedience and loyalty, pledging him to be the ruler of themselves and their tribe.
Herod might be wrapped in the garb of secularism, socialism, nationalism or any other ideology... He might put on the mantle of religious leaders and hide behind religious or sectarian slogans. But he remains the Herod who does not see his glory remain and grow as quickly as the number of victims piled up in mass graves.
"Herod, who seeks the young child's life, is dead." With these words, the angel brought the good news to Joseph, the betrothed of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. The angel brings good tidings of the dead of King Herod who ordered the destruction of all the children of Bethlehem under the age of two so that Christ might perish among those babies. The angel appears to Joseph in a dream and asks him to return with the baby Jesus from the land of Egypt to the land of Palestine, after the one who was seeking to kill Him died. The death is wonderful news brought by the angel, the angel of good tidings, to Joseph.
Yes, news of Herod's death was joyous news that brought good tidings to many, among them Joseph and Mary. We are not sinning if we rejoice and and glad with them. Death is true, as people say. There must come the day when a person dies and goes from this world to the next. But Herod's death did not prevent Christ's crucifixion and killing. Herod is not a closed-off and isolated individual. One Herod grows and sprouts another Herod, and on and on until time ends and God inherits the earth and everything upon it.
In Syria today there is not one Herod, but rather many Herods who consider it permissible to commit massacres, killings, beheadings and forced expulsions. All the Herods of the world have come together against Syria, like hungry vultures circling over corpses. The Herods are Syrian, Arab and foreign. Or, you could say the Draculas of this age, satisfied only by more Syrian blood.
When will those who seek to kill the child die? This is not merely a question. It is an ardent prayer that we raise up on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, the King of Peace. When will they die? A question as a prayer from the heart bearing hope, as we are the children of hope, that there will be an end to the shedding of the blood of innocents. Your Nativity, O Christ, fills us with gladness, joy and delight. But it is also our right to be glad, rejoice and delight when when we hear that one of the Herods has died, and how much more so if it were all of them!
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1 comment:
Well said, dear Father.
We can rejoice in the death of Herod. Even so, as you say, for every Herod that dies another takes his place!
Still we wait for the eclipsing of the Herods of this world in the final rule of the Prince of Peace.
Father Dave
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