"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience," (Col 3:12)

Mt 2:13-18

When the magi had departed, behold, 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.

How big and dangerous is human anger, what serious consequences it can have in our life, not only in our own life, but also in the lives of other people. The consequences of anger are always painful and end in someone's misfortune, both the one who hurts and the one who is wronged. If there is also a disproportion in terms of strength, it can lead to tragedy. This disproportion is clearly visible in this Gospel between Herod and the innocent children killed because of his morbid jealousy. In the physical sense, Herod is the dominant one, he is the victor because he has all the power and means to take the life of anyone he wants. In the spiritual sense, the children are the winners, because by losing their lives they gain a happy eternity with God, exposing Herod's evil and stupidity. Evil will always turn against the one who does it. Although the wrongdoer appears to be a winner, he is actually a loser, and in the worst possible sense, because the evil he committed sticks with him for the rest of his life and lives on long after he has done so. Today, it has been over two thousand years since that massacre, and we still remember it, emphasizing the brutality of King Herod. By killing these innocent children, Herod caused the greatest harm to himself, because he was unable to overcome his own pride and lust for power, for which he was willing to pay the highest price. What am I capable of when anger arises in me? Who must pay the price for my selfishness? Do I understand that with my anger I destroy not only my own life, but also that of other, often innocent people, and that by getting angry and taking revenge on others I am not winning, but losing what is most precious: God's grace and love and my dignity? These innocent children are a symbol of love and innocence that can be associated with God's grace and God's life. Their death can be a symbol of man's spiritual death, a terrible death that man inflicts on himself. The children of Bethlehem died, King Herod died, although outwardly he remained alive, smiling and happy because of the success achieved in eliminating the Messiah. He retained his throne, but lost his conscience, the only voice of God he could hear in his heart.

Father Marcin Cwierz, OSPPE

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"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience," (Col 3:12)