Marie de Nazareth
À Jésus Par Marie
Romanos the Melodist talks about what maternal love is, and about Herod's dehumanization, a theme which is still very relevant today!
It offers a word of hope that repeats like a refrain: Herod's power will soon crumble, and this can apply to all who are in the midst of violent situations.
His writings have a rich biblical background, for example when he cites St Matthew's allusions to Rachel and the exile.
Fr. Angelo Gila
1. "When joy reigns on earth as in heaven, what is happening in Ramah, where a great lamentation is heard? Jacob exults, so why is Rachel crying?" [...]
"We will go witness mourning and sorrow, for she isn't crying over her first children, who were lost and found again (Jr 31:15), but over those that the bloodthirsty Herod just slaughtered. He asked about the time when the star shone and then sent his soldiers to Bethlehem to rob Rachel of her children, because of Mary's babe (Mt 2:18). But Rachel met them again in joy, whereas Herod mourns his power about to crumble."
11. "With their swords drawn, the soldiers attacked mothers bearing their young, and they, frozen in fear, threw away the burdens they were nursing so lovingly."
[...] "Some begged the murderers and presented their own necks, desirous to die before their children rather than see them massacred, and of this any woman who has given birth can testify. Thus they cried bitterly: you are killing them, but Abraham's bosom will receive them like the faithful Abel. As for Herod, he will mourn his power about to crumble." [...]
13. "O perversity, o madness of the king, o pitiless conduct! To declare war upon the newborn, and withdraw pity from one's own people! He did not remember his own children, or the fact that all possess the same nature. He had no mercy for their parents, but, drunken with rage, he first ignored himself, then all the brothers of his race [...] He only attended to one thing: to mourn his power about to crumble."
Saint Romanos the Melodist, Hymn XV on the Holy Innocents