HISTORY

TODAY IS THE FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS OF BETHLEHEM: Remembrance of 14,000 Innocent Victims and a Prayer That Heals Every Illness!

by Serbian Times11. January 2026.11. January 2026.

The Serbian Orthodox Church and the faithful today commemorate the Holy 14,000 Innocents of Bethlehem, the first martyrs who suffered for Christ. This tragic event, recorded in the Gospel according to Matthew, has for centuries stood as a symbol of innocent suffering, but also as a warning of the destructive consequences of greed and madness.

According to biblical tradition, King Herod the Great, upon learning from the Wise Men from the East that a “new King of Israel” had been born, felt an immediate threat to his rule. When the Wise Men avoided informing him of the exact place of Christ’s birth, Herod’s fury turned into one of the most horrifying crimes in history.

He ordered soldiers to kill all male children up to two years of age in Bethlehem and its surroundings. The Evangelist Matthew records the harrowing words of the prophet Jeremiah that were fulfilled at that time: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

NOVI DETALJI TRAGEDIJE KOJA JE POTRESLA ČIKAGO: Boris ubio suprugu, majku petoro dece, pa skočio u smrt!

Herod’s obsession with power did not stop with the children of Bethlehem. In his madness, he persecuted and killed the prophet Zechariah because he did not want to hand over his son John (the Forerunner), and soon he began eliminating members of his own family—his brother, his sister, and even his own three sons.

His end was, according to tradition, as dreadful as his deeds. He was struck by a severe illness; his body trembled, and an unbearable stench spread from his festering wounds. Even on his deathbed, he tried to order new killings so that the people would not celebrate his death. The Evangelist Matthew states that, after his last breath, his soul went directly to hell.

In Orthodox tradition, this day is not only a remembrance of tragedy, but also a day of prayer for all those who suffer injustice. Believers hold that the Holy Innocents are protectors of children and the innocent, and the recitation of a special prayer for health and healing is recommended:

“By the sufferings of the Saints, who suffered for You, be entreated, O Lord, and heal all our diseases, we pray to You, O Lover of mankind.”