the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
"Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son.
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,
he became furious.
He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
two years old and under,
in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.
REFLECTION
he became furious
Anger can cause us to lose control of what is right and wrong, good or bad, carrying with it resentment, vengeance and acts of hostility. Herod, FURIOUS at being tricked by the Magi, called for the murder of all male babies under the age of 2. How the innocents suffered as their parents did as well.
From a personal point of view I have trouble understanding suffering. Yes, there is suffering in this world; yes, God is in control and as a good provident Father in everything He works for good with those who love Him. By faith, suffering takes on a different meaning. In union with Christ’s suffering, it is transformed by love to value and fruitfulness. After all, Jesus redeemed us through suffering.
My heart breaks for the slain babies and their parents. Death was instant for the babies, but the parents' pain lasted for all time. They saved the life of Jesus and are in heaven with Him.
In the Beatitudes Jesus proclaimed "Blessed are those who mourn....for they shall be comforted". We all have experienced suffering and mourning. Some carry heavier crosses. It is only in this union with Christ’s suffering that I can understand it.
Pray for one another and help each other carry their crosses.
God Bless You
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Maria
28 dic 2024
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Hello Olivia, thank you for this reflection on suffering.Just to clarify, when you say you don't understand suffering, do you mean you don't understand the reason there is suffering in the world?Thank you so much!
Hello Olivia, thank you for this reflection on suffering. Just to clarify, when you say you don't understand suffering, do you mean you don't understand the reason there is suffering in the world? Thank you so much!