Of all the feast days, memorials and observations of faith, one of the most difficult is the Feast of Holy Innocents. For some it is so disturbingly painful that they would rather not acknowledge its existence.
We all are familiar with the story of the Wise Men, the Magi who saw a star appear and knew that the Messiah would be born. The Gospel of Saint Matthew talks of their encounter with King Herod. We know that Herod was an evil man capable of unimaginable cruelty. He murdered his own wife and children when he saw them as a threat to his rule. Nothing was beyond his thurst for control. When Herod leaned of the birth of a new King, he wanted to kill the child by any means necessary. And so he asked the Magi to return to him once they found the child so that he too could come and worship. This was a lie. Herod planned to have the child ripped from His mother’s arms and slaughtered for all to see that he alone was in charge.
In a dream the Magi were warned not to return to Herod. This warning not only protected the Christ Child from Herod’s wrath, it acted as a catapult in fulfillment of the what the prophet Jeremiah had warned:
“A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”
While many historians reject the accounts of Saint Matthew, others believe that the Slaughter of Innocents did in fact happen. There exists no record of this event outside the pages of the Bible. But then again, many things in the Bible have no secular proof. If you need proof in order to believe – physical, undisputed scientific fact then you are lacking in the one thing needed – and that is faith. Faith is what brings us to God, to know within us what often can only be felt. And yet in many ways God is visible in the world. Look around at the wonder that is life. Take it all in. What more proof do you require? Yet for all that is good in the world, there is evil. Fallen angels whisper in the ears of man, playing on our egos and selfish lust for greatness. That is not an excuse – the devil made me do it. We can respond or choose instead to turn a deaf ear.
The story of the Holy Innocents is brutal. It should provoke in us anger. While these innocent young lives did not know Jesus, at the hands of an evil man they were slaughtered in His place. Today marks the Memorial Feast of these young boys, no more than two years of age. The Church recognizes these children as the first martyrs for the faith. While their names are unknown, they are the Pro-Life Patron Saints. Today is a reminder to all that children are precious.
Smoked Turkey
The Bird
10 lb Turkey
Wood Chunks or chips
Thaw turkey complete. Remove giblets. Set up smoker as needed for an all-day smoke.
Inside the Bird
2 Celery Ribs
1 Yellow Onion
1 Orange
1 Apple
6 Garlic Cloves
4 tablespoons Butter
6 sprigs Rosemary
Clean celery, trim ends, then cut ribs into 1-inch pieces. Peel onion, slice into chunks. Cut orange and apple in half. Slice half of each, leaving peel intact. Peel garlic. Cube butter. Set everything aside until ready to stuff.
Pat turkey dry. Fill cavity with the fruits, vegetables and butter. Stuff rosemary into the cavity as well as the neck. Set aside remaining fruits, vegetables and herbs for the drip pan.
Outside the Bird
1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 tablespoon Onion Powder
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
In a bowl mix together salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Generously rub the skin of the turkey with olive oil.
Sprinkle seasonings over the entire bird. Place turkey in a disposable drip pan fitted with a rack. Set aside.
Drip Pan Basting
1-1/2 cups Apple Juice
1-1/2 cups Chicken Stock
1 Orange
3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
Mix together the apple juice and chicken stock. Slice orange, squeeze juice and add to the stock mixture. Whisk in the cider vinegar. Pour about half of the basting mixture into a disposable roasting pan. Add the reserved fruits, onions and herbs to act like a wire rack inside the pan. Place the turkey on top.
Set up smoker as you normally would. Once 225-degrees has been reached and the smoke has built up, place the bird inside the smoking chamber. After 45 minutes, baste the turkey. Repeat basting every 45 minutes, adding liquid as necessary to the drip pan.
Note: Turkeys take 30 to 45 minutes per pound to smoke. The internal temperature of the thigh should reach 165-degrees.
Don’t panic if the turkey looks dark – that’s the smoke and not the skin burning. The meat inside is so moist, tender and flavorful.
Remove from smoker, tent to keep warm and let the bird rest for about 15 minutes before carving.
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
Heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience,
Bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
If one has a grievance against another;
As the Lord ahs forgive you,
So must you also do.
Colossians 3:12-13
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