Holy Innocents: from the Hoovers

[MaxPC]

In my mailbox this morning was an inspiring message from Peter and Susan Hoover of Rocky Cape, Tasmania. I was so affected that I am breaking my computer fast to share it with you. Their community is of Anabaptist heritage from the Hutterites.

*Wednesday, 28 December 2016*-- Día de los Santos Inocentes (the Day of
the Holy Innocents).

It did not take long for us, after we moved to Mexico in 1981, to learn
about a series of religious celebrations, some of them taken very
seriously. But others, such as the days of San Juan Bautista (where one
is free to splash water on anyone, anywhere) or the day of the Santos
Inocentes (akin to April Fool's day in the English-speaking world)
became happy and light-hearted occasions.

What did all of this mean?

The Santos Inocentes (Holy Innocents), in Spanish-speaking tradition,
are all the little children killed by cruel King Herod, when he learned
that the Wise Men had returned to the east without telling him where the
King was born. And, understandably, according to the Bible, no
light-heartedness, no joking remained in Bethlehem after this occasion.
Instead, "the sound of weeping and great mourning," swept the village,
"Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because
they are no more” (Matthew 2:18).

Today, close to the end of our eventful and sobering year, we have a
special reason to be remembering and mourning all the Santos Inocentes
who perished in 2016. So many by violence and hunger. So many in
Australia, in New Zealand, throughout Europe, North America and other
"advanced" nations where mothers choose not to bear the children they
have conceived. And above this, we need to remember the children who
entered dysfunctional families, quickly moving from place to place,
without fathers, without real mothers, dropped into a culture with no
real love and without God.

Many years have passed since we lived in Mexico, and we no longer hear
of the Día de los Santos Inocentes. But I wonder, if in our hearts, and
in our fellowships, we could pause and think and grieve.

No more political fixes, no earthly power will save the innocents, but
we may stretch our hands to God, from whom all salvation comes. And
would it not be good if all of us who love the Lord set a special day
aside, today perhaps, where we could remember the plight of all little
ones in danger, together?

This will be our prayer today.

Peter and Susan Hoover

Rocky Cape, Tasmania
http://thecommonlife.com.au/c/

[appleman2006]

I saw that this morning as well and it touched me.