Practicing Hospitality With the Little Ones
- davidwperk
- Dec 29, 2025
- 5 min read
Devotional Reflection, Monday, December 29, 2025
The Feast of the Holy Innocents (Transferred from Sunday)
The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.
Daily Office Lectionary Readings
AM Psalm 2, 26; Isaiah 49:13-23; Matthew 18:1-14
PM Psalm 19, 126; Isaiah 54:1-13; Mark 10:13-16
Daily Office Gospel, Mark 10:13-16
13 People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ 16And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
David’s Reflections
According to Matthew 2, Herod the Great had all infant boys age 2 and under in Bethlehem killed in his quest to eliminate the new-born king of the Jews that the Magi had reported was born King of the Jews. That probably would have meant the deaths of 20 to 30 children. Herod, ever fearful of assassination or of being usurped as king, had ordered the deaths of numerous people, including several of his wives and sons. This feast day commemorates the deaths of those children, whom St. Augustine called martyrs of the gospel.
Today’s Gospel reading narrates the last episode in a series of stories in Mark having to do with children (9:14-50). In this episode, as in the first, Jesus embraces a child (9:36). In today’s reading, as in the story in chapter 9, Jesus makes a child the model for Christian discipleship. And, then, Jesus embraces the children, lays hands on them and blesses them. Similar blessing stories in Genesis (see Genesis 48-49) make this look like an adoption scene—Jesus includes these children in his family of faith.
Jesus expressed strong feelings of indignation at his disciples for hindering people who were trying to bring their children to him for blessings. The children were powerless in this scene—their families were attempting to bring them and were being prevented by Jesus’ followers. Jesus became an advocate for the powerless little ones whom his disciples obviously did not value adequately.
On this feast day, we grieve Herod’s insensitivity and hardness, a state of moral decadence that prompted him to purge a village of its little ones. We also grieve the harshness of Jesus’ followers and applaud Jesus’ sensitivity to the powerlessness of the little ones. We also grieve the abuse, neglect, and suffering of children in our own era.
We get a heads up in this passage about our own attitude toward children. They are powerless in our hands. We can be guilty of hindering their spiritual journey by carelessly absenting them from worship and by ignoring their spiritual formation and Christian education. We also can be guilty of depreciating their primal spiritual connection with God. And, we can be guilty of treating them and their parents as a commodity by focusing on reaching young adults to counter the demographics of an aging parish. Better to focus our energies on the demographic in our context and on those we are uniquely gifted to reach. We can be complicit with their being abused and neglected if we ignore safe church training or fail to note the symptoms of abuse.
The church must continue to stand on tiptoe in a vigilant and diligent way to be certain that we have the best people with the best training in places of leadership in children’s ministry. We must continue to stretch ourselves to provide them the very best in Christian formation. We must undergird parents in their efforts to nurture children in the faith. We must be certain that they are fully welcome in worship. Dare we risk Jesus’ indignant rebuke for even passively hindering their approach to God in Christ?
Collect of the Day, The first Sunday after Christmas
Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 212)
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents.
Collect of The Feast of the Holy Innocents
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 and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Collect for the Renewal of Life
O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 99)
Of the Incarnation
O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 252)
In the Evening
O Lord, support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in thy mercy, grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last. Amen. (BCP, 833)
A Collect for Mission
O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 280)
Daily Offices in The Book of Common Prayer
Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, The Book of Common Prayer
Noonday Prayer, page 103, Book of Common Prayer
Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p 109, Book of Common Prayer
Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer
Compline (Night Prayer), page 127, Book of Common Prayer
Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer
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