Reckoning The Slain

Tunc Herodes videns quod illusus esset a Magis, iratus est valde. Et mittens occidit omnes pueros qui erant in Bethlehem, et in omnibus finibus ejus, a bimatu et infra, secundum tempus quod exquisierat a Magis. Omnes igitur occidit, ut unus non effugeret. Sed quanti eorum essent,non facile repritur, etsi quorumdam traditio habeat juxta Apocalypsin Joannis centum quadraginta quator millia fuisse. Nam ibidem e omni tribu duodecim millia leguntur ascripti; hic vero ex Bethlehem atque ejus finibus omnes perhibentur occisi. Rursus alii asseverant per viginti locorum spati duo millia infantum occisos fuisse, ita ut in singulis locis centum perempti essent. Quod nos non astruimus. Quia quod in Scripturis sanctis non legimus, melius ignorare quam temere definire credimus. Hoc tantum ad praesens fatemur, quod Deum non lateant cui omnia vivunt, qui pro domino mortis dispendium subierunt. Sanctus Paschasius Radbertus Corbeiensis, Expositio In Evangelium Matthaei, Liber I, Caput II Source: Migne PL 120.142b

Then Herod seeing how he was deceived by the Magi was greatly angered, and he ordered all the young boys who were in Bethlehem to be killed, and in all the surrounding region, from two years and under, according to the time he had learnt from the Magi. 1 Therefore he killed them all, that not one might escape. But it is not easy to reckon how many there were, even if it is the custom of some to hold that according to the Apocalypse of John they were one hundred and forty four thousand. For there they read that it is written that from every tribe there were twelve thousand. But here it is said that all those from Bethlehem and all the surrounding region were killed. 2 Again others assert that in twenty places two thousand children were killed, so that in each place a hundred were slain. We cannot confirm this, because we think that it is better to confess ignorance of what is not told in the Holy Scriptures than to make bold statements. For the present this alone we will say, that they are not unknown to God, with whom they all live, all who have undergone the sentence of death for the Lord. 3 Saint Paschasius Radbertus, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Book 1, Chapter 2 1 Mt 2.16 2 Apoc 7.5

Reasons For Killing

Tunc Herodes videns quomodo illusus esset a magis, iratus est valde, et mittens occidit omnes pueros, qui erant in Bethlehem et in omnibus finibus ejus, a bimatu et infra. Verisimile est ergo, quod postquam Herodi magi nihil renuntiaverunt, eum credere potuisse illos fallacis stellae visione deceptos, posteaquam non invenerunt quem natum putaverant, erubuisse ad se redire, atque ita eum, timore depulso, ab inquirendo ac persequendo puero quievisse. Cum ergo post purgationem matris ejus, in Jerusalem cum illo venissent, et ea gesta essent in templo, quae a Luca narrantur, quia verba Simeonis et Annae de illo prophetantium, cum coepissent ab eis qui audierant praedicari, ad pristinam intentionem revocatura erant animum regis, admonitus per somnum Joseph cum infante et matre ejus fugit in Aegyptum. Deinde vulgatis rebus, quae in templo dictae factaeque fuerant, Herodes a magis se sensit illusum, ac deinde ad Christi mortem cupiens pervenire multos infantes, sicut Matthaeus narrat, occidit in Bethlehem, et in omnibus finibus ejus, et hoc a bimatu et infra. Quia crudelitas animi per invidiam et furorem exardescens, modum in nullo tenuit, sed malitia omnes superare contendit. Nam non contenta est sola vastatione Bethlehem, sed et omnes simul ejus fines devastavit, nec etiam parvulae aetatis ullam misericordiam habuit, quin omnes a filio unius noctis usque ad filium duorum annorum pariter occidit. Rabanus Maurus, Commentariorum In Matthaeum, Liber I Source: Migne PL 107.762b-d

Then Herod, seeing how he was deceived by the Magi, was greatly angered, and he ordered all the young boys who were in Bethlehem to be killed, and in all the surrounding region, from two years and under. 1 It is therefore likely to be true that after the Magi had not reported back to Herod, that he thought that they had been deceived by their seeing of a misleading star, and after they had not found the boy whom they thought they would, they were too embarrassed to return to him, and thus he who was struck by fear because of the questions about the boy and the seeking of him, was placated. But after the purification of His mother, when they came with Him to Jerusalem, and those things happened in the temple about which Luke tells us, the words of Simeon and Anna making prophecy about Him, when these things began to be told by those who had heard them, the soul of the king was recalled to its former intention, and therefore Joseph was warned in a dream to flee with the child and his mother into Egypt. Then with the things that were said and done in the temple spreading abroad, Herod felt he had been made sport of by the Magi, and desiring the death of Christ, he decided to kill the many infants in Bethlehem of two years and under, and in all the surrounding region, as Matthew says. 2 Because the cruelty of a soul blazes up through envy and anger, he held to no moderation, but strove to overcome all things with evil. For he was not content with the devastation of Bethlehem alone, but at the same time even all the surrounding region, having no pity at all on the little ones, since he slew every one of them, from the son of one night, even to the son of two years. Rabanus Maurus, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Book 1 1 Mt 2.16 2 cf Augustine De Consensu Evang 2.11

Martyrs And Innocents

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini, Deus Dominus, et illuxit nobis. Benedictum nomen gloriae ejus, quod est sanctum. Neque enim otiose venit quod ex Maria natum est Sanctum: sed copiose diffundit et nomen et gratiam sanctitatis. Nimirum inde Stephanus sanctus, inde Joannes sanctus, inde sancti etiam Innocentes. Utili proinde dispositione triplex ista solemnitas Natale Domimi comitatur: ut non modo inter continuas solemnitates devotio continua perseveret, sed et fructus Dominicae Nativitatis exinde nobis velut ex quadam prosecutione evidentius innotescat. Siquidem advertere est in his tribus solemnitatibus triplicem quamdam speciem sanctitatis; nec facile praeter haec tria sanctorum genera, quartum aliud posse arbitror in hominibus reperiri. Habemus in beato Stephano martyrii simul et opus et voluntatem: habemus solam voluntatem in beato Joanne; solum in beatis Innocentibus opus. Biberunt omnes hi calicem salutaris, aut corpore simul et spiritu, aut solo spiritu, aut corpore solo. Calicem quidem meum bibetis, ait Dominus Jacobo et Joanni: nec dubium quin de passionis calice loqueretur. Demum cum Petro diceret: Sequere me, evidenter eum ad imitationem suae provocans passionis; conversus ille vidit discipulum, quem diligebat Jesus, sequentem, non tam gressu corporis, quam promptae devotionis affectu. Et bibit ergo Joannes calicem salutaris, et secutus est Dominum sicut Petrus, etsi non omni modo sicut Petrus. Quod enim sic mansit, ut non etiam passione corporea Dominum sequeretur, divini fuit consilii, sicut ipse ait: Sic eum volo manere donec veniam; ac si dicat: Vult quidem et ipse sequi, sed ego sic eum volo manere. An vero de Innocentium coronis quis dubitet? Ille pro Christo trucidatos infantes dubitet inter martyres coronari, qui regeneratos in Christo non credit inter adoptionis filios numerari. Alioquin quando coaevos sibi pueros puer ille qui natus est nobis, non contra nos, propter se pateretur occidi, quod utique solo nutu poterat prohibere, nisi melius aliquid eis provideret? ut, quemadmodum caeteris infantibus tunc quidem circumcisio, nunc vero baptismus sine ullo propriae voluntatis usu sufficit ad salutem, sic nihilominus pro eo susceptum martyrium illis sufficeret ad sanctitatem. Si quaeris eorum apud Deum merita, ut coronarentur, quaere et apud Herodem crimina, ut trucidarentur. An forte minor Christi pietas, quam Herodis impietas, ut ille quidem potuerit innoxios neci dare, Christus non potuerit propter se occisos coronare? Sit ergo Stephanus martyr apud homines, cujus voluntaria passio evidenter apparuit in eo vel maxime, quod in ipso mortis articulo tam pro persequentibus, quam pro se ipso sollicitudinem gereret ampliorem, vinceretque in eo sensum corporeae passionis internae compassionis affectus; ut illorum magis scelera, quam sua vulnera plangeret. Sit Joannes apud angelos martyr, quibus, tanquam spiritualibus creaturis, spiritualia devotionis ejus signa certius innotuerunt. Caeterum hi sunt plane martyres tui, Deus, ut in quibus nec homo nec angelus meritum invenit, singularis tuae praerogativa gratiae evidentius commendetur. Ex ore infantium et lactentium perfecisti laudem. Gloria in excelsis Deo, angeli dicunt, et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Magna quidem, sed, audeo dicere, necdum perfecta laus, donec veniat qui dicat: Sinite parvulos ad me venire, quia talium est regnum coelorum; et pax hominibus, etiam sine voluntatis usu in sacramento pietatis. Sanctus Bernardus Clarae Vallensis, Sermones De Tempore, In Nativitate Sanctorum Innocentium, De quatuor continuis solemnitatibus, scilicet Nativitatis Domini, ac SS. Stephani, Joannis, et Innocentium. Source: Migne PL 183.129c-131c

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord and He enlightened us. 1 Blessed the name of His glory which is holy. 2 For He who was born holy from Mary did not come uselessly, but He abundantly spreads forth the name and grace of holiness. Certainly because of this Stephen was holy, and likewise John and the Holy Innocents. Usefully, then, these three solemnities are arranged in association with the birth of the Lord, so that there is no interruption of the devotion of the successive feasts, but rather the fruit of the Lord's Nativity becomes known more openly to us by this accompaniment. Certainly with these three solemnities we are directed to a sort of threefold type of holiness, and besides these three types of holy people, I cannot think how it is found among men. In the blessed Stephen we have the work and the will of martyrdom. In the blessed John we have the will alone. In the Holy Innocents the work alone. All these drink of the cup of salvation, either in both the body and the spirit, or in the spirit alone, or in the body alone. 'You shall certainly drink of my cup,' says the Lord to James and John, and doubtless he spoke of the cup for the passion. 3 Then He said to Peter, 'Follow me,' evidently calling him to the imitation of His own passion. And he turned and saw the Apostle who Christ loved following them, not so much with the steps of the body, but with the love of eager devotion. And therefore John drinks of the cup of salvation and is following the Lord like Peter, even if not in every way like Peter, because he remained and did not follow the Lord in corporeal passion, but in Divine counsel, just as He said: 'If I wish him to remain until I come.' 4 As if He said, 'Surely he wishes to follow, but I wish him to remain.' And who doubts the Innocents have their crown? He who doubts that the infants slaughtered for Christ are crowned among the martyrs, does not believe those regenerated in Christ are numbered among His adopted sons. Besides, would that boy born for us, not against us, allow them to be slain who were of the same age as He, which with a nod He was able to prohibit, unless He foresaw something better for them? So it was with those other infants then circumcised, as now baptised, that without anything of their own will, it is enough for salvation, and likewise with a few who have suffered martyrdom for Him it has been enough for holiness. If you wonder at the merit of these children with God, so that they were crowned, seek with Herod the crimes for which they were slain. Or perhaps the piety of Christ is inferior to the impiety of Herod, so that he was able to slay the innocent but Christ was not able to crown those slain because of Him? Let it be, therefore, that Stephen was a martyr with men, he whose will and passion openly appeared in him, and especially at the point of death, when he showed such great care for his persecutors and not for himself, and he conquered in himself the feeling of bodily suffering with the love of eternal compassion. 5 So he lamented more for their crimes than for his own wounds. Then let John be a martyr with the angels, by which, as with spiritual creatures, with his spiritual devotion he made known His signs more certainly. And the others are certainly your martyrs, Lord, those in whom man nor angel finds merit, each one by your singular prerogative of grace being more evidently commended. From the mouths of infants and babes you perfect your praise. 6 'Glory to God the Highest,' the angels say, 'and peace on earth to men of good will.' 7 Certainly it is great, but if I might dare say it, your praise is not yet perfected, until He comes who says: 'Allow the children to come to me, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' 8 And it is peace for men even without the use of the will in the mystery of piety. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons for the Year, On the Holy Innocents, On The Four Successive Solemnities, the Nativity of the Lord, and Saint Stephen, and Saint John and the Holy Innocents. 1 Ps 117.26-27 2 Dan 3.52 3 Mt 20.23 4 Jn 21.25 21.22 5 Acts 7.58-59 6 Ps 8.3 7 Lk 2.14 8 Mt 19.14

The Little Ones

Quaestio 1 Quod dictum est: Occisos infantes a bimatu et infra, significatum est humiles habentes geminam caritatem, tamquam parvulos bimos posse mori pro Christo. Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensi, Quaestionum Septendecim In Evangelium Secundum Matthaeum Source: Migne PL 35.1365

Question 1 When it is said, 'Killing the babes two years old and less,' 1 here is signified those humble ones who have the twofold love, 2 just as those two year old little ones who were able to die for Christ. Saint Augustine of Hippo, Seventy Questions On The Gospel Of Matthew 1 Mt 2.16 2 Mt 22.37-40