The Church honors today the memory of the Infants (Holy Innocents) who were killed by Herod in Bethlehem, becoming the first Christian martyrs.
Upon realizing that the Magi did not return to him as instructed, but instead departed in a different direction, King Herod was filled with rage and ordered the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem, attempting to eliminate the newborn Christ who was believed to be the future king of the Israelites.
These innocent infants were unjustly slaughtered at a tender age, yet God, who is a God of love and knows each of us even before we are born, recognized them as martyrs for the Church. Some mistakenly blame God for the massacre, unaware that the Holy Infant was spared from this tragic fate.
It is important to remember that the massacre was carried out by the enraged Herod, not by God. The king’s actions were driven by wickedness, ambition, and selfishness, rather than a desire for the salvation brought by the Christ child. The loss of these young lives is indeed a sorrowful reminder that humanity was created for life, not death.
Source: Church of Cyprus