Some Thoughts From St. Ignatius of Loyola on This Commemoration of the Holy Innocents

Holy Mother Church takes Christmas seriously. Sure, it's a time of great joy. And yes, we can - probably should go on feasting and enjoying the company of family and friends. But we do get reminders of the "real" life most of us lead.

For example, the very day after Christmas we celebrate the Feast of St. Stephen - the First Martyr. And today we commemorate the slaughter of the Holy Innocents by Herod. 

If we've never spent any time meditating on these "counterintuitive" days during Christmas week, here's something to get us to do perhaps do so now. As part of the second week of his extraordinary spiritual exercises, St Ignatius recommends a meditation on the early life of Christ. As we all know, the threat of Herod's murderous intentions caused the Holy Family to flee into Egypt. Here are St. Ignatius's points for meditation on the Flight to Egypt.

OF THE FLIGHT TO EGYPT

First Point. First: Herod wanted to kill the Child Jesus, and so killed the Innocents, and before their death the Angel warned Joseph to fly into Egypt: “Arise and take the Child and His Mother, and fly to Egypt.”

Second Point. Second: He departed for Egypt. “Who arising by night departed to Egypt.”

Third Point. Third: He was there until the death of Herod.

One of our special spiritual directors, Father Willie Doyle, was a Jesuit who wrote down his thoughts about these points during one of the two times he experienced the 30 days St. Ignatius's retreat. Here are Fr Doyle’s reflections on this meditation:

Great as was the poverty of Jesus in the cave at Bethlehem, it was nothing compared to His destitution during the Flight into Egypt. Again this was voluntary and chosen and borne for my sake.

I contrast the obedience of St. Joseph with my obedience. His so prompt, unquestioning, uncomplaining, perfect; mine given so grudgingly, perhaps exterior, but not interior conformity with the will of the Superior. I realise my faults in this matter, and for the future will try to practise the most perfect obedience, even and especially in little things. “The obedient man will speak of victory.” (Proverbs 21, 28.)

We see how seriously Father Willie took St. Ignatius's comments. Let's see if we can do so ourselves.

Most lay people do not live under “obedience” in the strict sense of the term. But we all have obligations and duties that flow from our place in the world. Holiness is not a nice, abstract idea. It is based on the hard reality of fulfilling our everyday duties, especially when we don’t want to do them. 

In both Fr Doyle and St Joseph we have the examples of strong, but humble, men who consistently put others before them in the fulfillment of the duties of their state of life. Even in the midst of our joyous celebration of the Birth of Our Lord, we can - now should - do so as well. And in no way does this take away a single smidgen of our Christmas Joy.

Merry Christmas!