“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, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.”
The Feast of Holy Innocents is a tough one. Like the imprecatory Psalms, it is a day that can lead me to dwell on the darker parts of humanity and the more confusing parts of trusting God. Why throughout all of history do we see innocents murdered? And why does it seem that God does nothing?
Very big questions that I wish I had answers to. As I thought about honoring this day, I knew I wanted to do something that reminded me of innocence and also what the day itself commemorates.
I opted to watch the movie Klaus first. This has been a yearly ritual for me since it came out in 2019. For those of you who have never seen it, here is a trailer.
I love the animation style of this film, the buddy comedy between the postman and Klaus, and the way it portrays and encourages childlike innocence. One of my favorite exchanges is when the postmaster has to help a girl who does not speak English. I can’t say more without spoiling it. Whenever I watch this film, it reminds me that being kind and selfless does not come naturally to any of us, but it is something that we can learn and practice until it is a habit.
The second movie I chose for honoring this day was The Prince of Egypt. This one shows another murder of innocents: the slaying of the Israelite babies during the time of Moses. It’s a beautiful film marked by many instances of death. The first time I saw it, I was very young and we were in a Brazilian movie theater. Everything was dubbed, if I recall correctly, except for the songs. I could still follow along, though. When the song There Can Be Miracles came on, I remember feeling like I was going to cry. Even if I didn’t understand all of it back then, I knew it was a song about freedom.
The first character other than the leads that this song focuses on is a young girl who takes her grandmother by the hand and leads her toward their future. I can think of no better way to express what celebrating innocence looks like. This girl does not know where they are going. She only knows that this is the direction of freedom and in the purity of her belief she goes forward.
I still can’t listen to this without crying, which is also appropriate for today, I think. Honoring a feast day doesn’t mean you have to find a reason to smile. May we all look to the innocent ones in our lives and learn from their example what hope and faith can look like.
Merry Christmas!
All Things: 