“When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent an killed all the children..
“Matthew 2.13-18
When I read this passage in Scripture and ones similar, it’s difficult to comprehend such unwarranted actions toward any innocent or human. Herod, a ruler, had so much, yet could not embrace the greatest gift of love towards another. Herod had all the children of the region under the age of two killed, most likely because he feared to lose what he had. Jesus, our Saviour had come into the world. Sometimes beneath the anger, shame and anxiety can lie fear. Herod wanted power over his Kingdom and people. We may not fear to lose a kingdom but sometimes anger or annoyance may derive from fear of, loss of status, attention or harm to our nature. The surface may seem anger but deep inside there may be something different happening. When you take time to ponder on the reason for your upset, it may reveal something you hadn’t noticed. It may help you to deal with things in a more positive way.
Fear has many disguises. Fear can alienate you from loved ones. Fear can prevent you from living life to the fullest. Fear can cause anxiety, depression and lead you in the opposite direction of the life God intends for you. Climbing the ladder of success is meaningless if you have destroyed things or people along the way. The greatest people of our times have known the virtue of humility. Instead of living in fear of status for themselves many great people praised people above themselves. They placed others first and themselves last. Saints of our times knew how to see people beyond their situation and treat others as loving and precious creatures. People who place the lives of others above their own need know the meaning of a full life. A fantastic movie, Hacksaw Ridge is a great example of a man, Desmond Dos who during WWII was the conscientious objector who refused to fight or kill anyone but instead saved hundreds of lives during the battle. There were many, who were misguided and did not understand Desmond’s beliefs and actions, but in the end they to saw what incredible faith in God can do. When we think less of the things that hold us back and focus more on seeing Christ in all people we get to experience true love and happiness. The greatest difference in person’s life is those who know humility, love and brother/sisterhood and those who have yet to see.
This past summer my family travelled to Italy and Greece, to journey the path of our roots. We had some apprehension with flying. Instead of focusing on fear I prayed for a year prior that God shed wisdom and understanding in all aspects of planning our trip and in the travelling. With the Rosary in one hand and the other hand on my loved ones, we boarded the plane. As we sat and waited before take off, my mother in law and I began to pray for our family, for all the people on board and the pilot. People around us may have noticed the Rosary beads in my hands and I hope it gave them peace as well. An eight hour plane ride to Italy, the journey through our roots and an eleven hour ride back from Greece to Canada, even with a bit of wind turbulence, was an incredibly beautiful experience. It was made amazing because of prayer and faith.
God always want us to grow, experience life through his heart and love. He wants our experiences in life to be natural and welcoming as the nature of things around us. A moment of fear could have caused tension but instead it was a incredible journey of faith and love. Fear holds you back from light of God’s love. The most important thing Herod failed to realize that things of this world are dust and soon wither but faith in God’s kingdom is eternal. Pray and seek God’s will.
Merry Christmas,
Our Nourished Soul
Prayer: O Mary, grant me such a deep devotion to you that it will lead me to thirst after holiness. Make me realize that my first purpose in life is to be holy with the aid of the grace Jesus won for me. (taken from- Mary Day by Day)