If St. John was a martyr in will if not in deed, the Holy Innocents, the male babies in Bethlehem slaughtered at the order of King Herod, are the ones called "martyrs in fact though not by will." They didn't know they were giving their lives as a sacrifice to protect Jesus. Unsung heroes of very tiny stature.
We learn in Matthew's gospel that Herod, having heard that the Messiah was born in Bethlehem, felt threatened by the prospect of one greater than himself. He'd hoped the three wise men would return to him with information so he could have the infant Jesus killed. But, just as with Joseph, the wise men learned in a dream that they needed to stay clear of the King. So they took a different route home. Furious, King Herod ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two years old. But Joseph had whisked the family away to Egypt where he waited for word of Herod's death before venturing back.
There are many in this world today who I would consider our modern "Holy Innocents". I think of the transgendered people who are brutally murdered. I remember the LGBT Africans who are facing imprisonment and death. I think of the broken but innocent souls on death row who will be executed for a crime committed by somebody else. I think of people in this country without health insurance who are more likely to become seriously ill and die because they couldn't afford the health care that others insist must remain the private privilege of those with health insurance. And among the group of uninsured are the illegal immigrants and their children.
Happy as I was on the day that the Senate finally voted to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, I was disturbed that the DREAM Act, a bill designed to give the children of illegal immigrants a chance to become citizens, failed to garner enough support. The United States has often had a troublesome attitude toward immigrants, illegal and otherwise. While advertising that we are the "Land of the Free and Home of the Brave", we have turned away boats carrying Jews escaping Hitler's regime; we have opened our shores to Cubans, but not necessarily Haitians. And now we are telling the children of illegal immigrants, who have no control over their parents' situation, that even though you are with us and among us... you are definitely not us. Even service in our military, fighting wars that too many Americans object to, does not qualify or count toward citizenship. During the health care debate, one of the questions raised repeatedly was if the illegal immigrants would have access to health insurance. It was important, apparently, that the answer to that question be not only, "No" but "Hell, NO!" As with all people who have no health insurance, when someone who is illegal gets sick, they go to the emergency room. And those costs get passed along to all the people with their private health insurance.
So why don't we have universal healthcare? Fear. And fear-filled people in power. The fear is that if we were to offer a basic across-the-board health care, then CEOs of Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Capital Health Plan etc. etc. would not make as much money. And then there is the attitude that exists among the fear-filled public: I paid for my insurance, why should somebody else get it for free or reduced-cost? Have they forgotten the lesson of the loaves and the fishes?
We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims; and by your great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish your rule of justice, love, and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.--Collect for the Holy Innocents
We learn in Matthew's gospel that Herod, having heard that the Messiah was born in Bethlehem, felt threatened by the prospect of one greater than himself. He'd hoped the three wise men would return to him with information so he could have the infant Jesus killed. But, just as with Joseph, the wise men learned in a dream that they needed to stay clear of the King. So they took a different route home. Furious, King Herod ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two years old. But Joseph had whisked the family away to Egypt where he waited for word of Herod's death before venturing back.
There are many in this world today who I would consider our modern "Holy Innocents". I think of the transgendered people who are brutally murdered. I remember the LGBT Africans who are facing imprisonment and death. I think of the broken but innocent souls on death row who will be executed for a crime committed by somebody else. I think of people in this country without health insurance who are more likely to become seriously ill and die because they couldn't afford the health care that others insist must remain the private privilege of those with health insurance. And among the group of uninsured are the illegal immigrants and their children.
Happy as I was on the day that the Senate finally voted to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, I was disturbed that the DREAM Act, a bill designed to give the children of illegal immigrants a chance to become citizens, failed to garner enough support. The United States has often had a troublesome attitude toward immigrants, illegal and otherwise. While advertising that we are the "Land of the Free and Home of the Brave", we have turned away boats carrying Jews escaping Hitler's regime; we have opened our shores to Cubans, but not necessarily Haitians. And now we are telling the children of illegal immigrants, who have no control over their parents' situation, that even though you are with us and among us... you are definitely not us. Even service in our military, fighting wars that too many Americans object to, does not qualify or count toward citizenship. During the health care debate, one of the questions raised repeatedly was if the illegal immigrants would have access to health insurance. It was important, apparently, that the answer to that question be not only, "No" but "Hell, NO!" As with all people who have no health insurance, when someone who is illegal gets sick, they go to the emergency room. And those costs get passed along to all the people with their private health insurance.
So why don't we have universal healthcare? Fear. And fear-filled people in power. The fear is that if we were to offer a basic across-the-board health care, then CEOs of Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Capital Health Plan etc. etc. would not make as much money. And then there is the attitude that exists among the fear-filled public: I paid for my insurance, why should somebody else get it for free or reduced-cost? Have they forgotten the lesson of the loaves and the fishes?
We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims; and by your great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish your rule of justice, love, and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.--Collect for the Holy Innocents
1 comment:
Perfect! Just as we discussed. Hope you feel better.
Peggins
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