The famous Bishop Richard Challoner, in 1807, gives his instructions and commentary on today’s Feast of the Holy Innocents. The eminent Bishop is renowned today among true Catholics to be a tremendously edifying source of both instruction and material to be used for pious recollection and prayerful meditation. Being that this world has returned to the barbarism that was widespread at the time of the Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the reflections of Bishop Challoner are especially timely, poignant, and useful for all those of good will even today, over 200 years after they were first given.

Consider first, that the Son of God, who was born into this world to be the Saviour of the world, was no sooner born, but He began to be persecuted by the children of this world. The wicked king Herod, to secure to himself and his family the temporal kingdom of Judea, seeks the life of this new-born King–of whose Birth he had been informed by the sages of the East–and in order to compass his impious design, employs both craft, and (when this was eluded) open violence, by the barbarous massacre of the Innocents. But all to no other purpose than to show how vain are the designs and efforts of men against the decrees of God; according to that of the Wise Man, Proverbs 21:30, “There is no wisdom, there is no prudence, there is no counsel against the Lord.” Our new-born Saviour, by divine admonition, was carried away to Egypt, out of the reach of the tyrant, and all his barbarity only served to render the birth of the Messias more illustrious, by spreading the fame of it through all the world, and to crown at the same time so many innocent martyrs; whilst, for his own part, it brought a perpetual odium upon his infamous memory, which no length of time can ever efface, and drew down most terrible judgments (within the compass of a year) upon his head; and as to his numerous family, for which he was so solicitous, they quickly lost the kingdom, and were in a short time totally extirpated. O see, Christians, how sad a thing it is wilfully to fight against our Saviour by known sin, and how dismal the consequences are of all such undertakings.

Consider secondly, that we read, Matthew 2:16, etc, “Then Herod, perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry, and sending, killed all the male children that were in Bethlehem and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under.” These, my soul, are the Holy Innocents, whose feast we celebrate this day as happy martyrs, bearing testimony, not by their words but by their blood, to the birth of the Son of God. These are the first victims, immolated as so many lambs, to illustrate the coming of our Lamb of God, born into this world to take away the sins of the world. These are the first flowers of the martyrs, cropt in the very bud by the impious persecutor of Christ; these the first-fruits produced by the coming of our Lord, and presented by Him to His Father, to be followed afterwards by that abundant harvest out of all nations of innumerable glorious champions of Christ, who should maintain His cause by the testimony of their blood. To these the Church applies in the lesson of this day that of Apocalypse 14:4-5, “These are they who were not defiled with women: for they are virgins. These follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, the first-fruits to God and to the Lamb: and in their mouth there was found no lie; for they are without spot before the throne of God.” O let us honour these first martyrs of the Son of God.

Consider thirdly, that purity, innocence, and temporal sufferings are by divine appointment the way to eternal happiness. By this road the Holy Innocents arrived thither. O how happy are all they that are walking in this road! See then, Christians, how greatly you are deceived in flying so much from sufferings, since these are to bring you to your God. There was lamentations and great mourning in Bethlehem of the mothers of the Holy Innocents: they were not to be comforted because they had lost their children. In the meantime there was a great joy in heaven for their happy transmigration to a region of endless bliss. Thus, when the world is sorrowful, heaven rejoices; because the sufferings of this short time produce for the sufferers an eternal weight of glory in that blessed kingdom, whereas they that are without sufferings are in danger of never coming thither.

Conclude to embrace whatsoever share may be appointed for thee in the sufferings of this life, as designed by divine Providence to help thee to heaven. Assure thyself that thy God knows what is best for thee, and that He sends thee what He knows to be the best. Had not the Innocents been brought to God by the means of their sufferings they might have lived to have crucified their Lord, and instead of being eternally happy, might have been eternally miserable.

Indeed! The last two paragraphs are particularly worthy of additional reflection and consideration, as they are a summary of one of the central truths and foundational principles of the spiritual life: that there is no other way to attain to Heaven except that of the sorrowful Way of the Cross. It is only by suffering, even immense suffering, that we will ever be able to hope to attain to everlasting happiness, repose, and peace in Heaven. Not even those innocent of actual sin can escape such a universal decree from God, for “No servant is greater than his Master.” Furthermore, even these Holy Innocents were born “children of wrath” and at enmity with God, being inheritors of the original sin of Adam. It was only by the suffering that they endured, even to the shedding of their blood, in testimony of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, that they were cleansed of this original sin and “washed their garments in the Blood of the Lamb,” so as to be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven for all eternity.

Particularly worthy of note is the bishop’s final comment. It’s one that all Catholics should strive to always keep at the forefront of their time spent in the valley of tears: that God is all-knowing and can see what we cannot see. The sufferings He sends are guaranteed to be what He knows in His infinite wisdom and goodness to be best for His children, even if we cannot understand how or why they are so. While it is indeed a horrible tragedy that so many innocent children were barbarously slaughtered by Herod, who are we to presume to know what those innocent children would’ve grown up to become once reaching the age of discretion? It is entirely possible that some, or all, of them would’ve failed to attain to salvation and would’ve accordingly been separated from God for all eternity. Yet by the immense suffering and cruel death that God sent them in the first years of their lives, God has ensured that they be numbered among His elect for all eternity, with a happiness, peace, and joy in Heaven that can never be taken away from them. It is an eminently salutary thing to consider this truth of God’s Providence often in our lives, throughout each and every day that God deigns to give us to work out our salvation.