Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 12-28-04, Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 12-28-04 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

December 28, 2004
Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

Reading I
1 Jn 1:5—2:2

Beloved:
This is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christ
and proclaim to you:
God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.
If we say, "We have fellowship with him,"
while we continue to walk in darkness,
we lie and do not act in truth.
But if we walk in the light as he is in the light,
then we have fellowship with one another,
and the Blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.
If we say, "We are without sin,"
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just
and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.
If we say, "We have not sinned," we make him a liar,
and his word is not in us.

My children, I am writing this to you
so that you may not commit sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous one.
He is expiation for our sins,
and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.


Responsorial Psalm
124:2-3, 4-5, 7cd-8

R (7) Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.
Had not the LORD been with us–
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive,
When their fury was inflamed against us.
Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;
The torrent would have swept over us;
over us then would have swept the raging waters.
Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.
Broken was the snare,
and we were freed.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare.


Gospel
Mt 2:13-18

When the magi had departed, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
"Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,
he became furious.
He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
two years old and under,
in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:

A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.

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For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

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December 28 - Feast of the Holy Innocents

David Warren: The Innocents

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Ending the Holocaust of the Innocents

David Warren: The Innocents

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From: 1 John 1:5-2:2

God Is Light

---

[5] This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you,
that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.

Walking in the Light. Rejecting Sin

---

[6] If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we
lie and do not live according to the truth; [7] but if we walk in the
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and
the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. [8] If we say we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we say we have not
sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

[1] My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not
sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous; [2] and he is the expiation for our sins,
and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

---

Commentary:

1:5-2:29. This section describes what communion with God is, and the
demands it makes on us. We can say there are two parts in the section:
the first (1:5-2:11) teaches that communion with God means walking in
the light and, therefore, rejecting sin and keeping the commandments.
The second (2:12-19) warns the readers to guard against worldly
concupiscence and not trust false teachers.

St John is writing as a pastor of souls who has lived the life of the
Lord and reflected deeply upon it. His teaching interweaves truths of
faith with moral and ascetical demands because he wants Christians to
live in a way consistent with their faith. Therefore, the text does
not really divide into a doctrinal section and a moral section.

5. "God is light": the imagery of light/darkness was much employed in
ancient times--sometimes to promote the notion that the world had two
principles, one good and the other evil. In St John the image clearly
has a different meaning, one connected with biblical teaching on light.
When God reveals himself to men, in one way or another light usually
plays a part: examples range from the burning bush (cf. Ex 3:1ff) to
the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire (cf. Acts
2:1ff). This imagery is used to show God's sublimity--as we find also
in St Paul: "the Lord of Lords,...who dwells in unapproachable light,
whom no man has ever seen or can see" (1 Tim 6:15-16).

The image of light also helps to show what revelation involves: God
has made himself known to us, enlightening our hearts (cf. 2 Cor 4:6).
Thus, we can say that God is light, Jesus Christ has made him known to
us, and Christian revelation is the splendor of that light. In St
John's Gospel the idea of Christ as the light which enlightens the
world occurs very often (cf., e.g., Jn 1:4, 9; 8:12; 9:5). St Thomas
Aquinas explains, in this connection, that philosophers prior to
Christ had a certain light which allowed them to attain some knowledge
of God through reason; the people of Israel had much more light,
through divine revelation in the Old Testament; angels and saints,
because they have greater knowledge of God by virtue of grace have
divine light to a special degree; but only the Word of God is the true
light, because he is by his very essence the light which enlightens
(cf. "Commentary on St John", 1, 9).

The expression "God is light" has also a moral dimension: in God there
is no darkness because there is no sin; he is sovereign good and all
perfection. The light/darkness imagery, therefore, helps to underline
the gravity of sin: "the light has come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (Jn 3:19).
Those who lead a holy life are called children of light (Jn 12:36; Lk
16:8; Eph 5:8; 1 Thess 5:5); whereas those who do evil live in darkness
(1 Thess 5:4), which is the symbol of sin (Lk 22:53).

St John uses the statement that "God is light" to encourage Christians
to live in an upright way; as does St Augustine, who comments that we
must be united to God and "darkness should be cast away from us so as
to allow light to enter, because darkness is incompatible with light"
("In Epist. Joann. ad Parthos", 1, 5).

6-10. The clause "if we say" introduces three suppositions--very
probably claims made by some early heretics, especially Gnostics (who
boasted of having attained fullness of knowledge and thought they were
incapable of sinning).

St John is using the literary technique of parallelism, much employed
by Semitic writers: the first sentence states an idea which is repeated
and filled out in the later ones. Here, the first statement ("we lie")
is later extended to "we deceive ourselves" (v. 8)..., and then to "we
make him [God] a liar" (v. 10). This literary device shows that the
author of the letter was familiar with this style of writing, very
common in the Old Testament.

6-7. Walking in darkness/walking in the light--a graphic description of
sinful conduct and upright conduct. St John insists that one cannot
justify a life of sin by claiming to have communion with God: "mere
confession of faith is in no sense sufficient", St Bede declares, "if
that faith is not confirmed by good works" ("In I Epist. S. Ioannis, ad
loc.").

"Fellowship with one another": If there were an exact parallelism
between the parts of the passage, we would expect it to read
"fellowship with him", which is how some Fathers read it. If the text
reads differently, it is because mutual communion, the fellowship with
the Church to which St John is referring, is a pledge and sign of
fellowship with God: "the Church, in Christ, is in the nature of a
sacrament--a sign and instrument, that is, of communion with God and of
unity among all men" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 1).

"The blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin": this idea is
often found in the Book of Revelation when it says that the blood of
Christ sets us free (cf. Rev 1:5), cleanses souls and makes them white
(cf. Rev 7:14), ransoms them for God (cf. Rev 5:9) and defeats the
enemies of salvation (cf. Rev 12:11). It is made quite clear that the
blood of Christ purifies all types of sin, past and present, mortal and
venial. (On the blood of Christ as atonement for all sins, see the
notes on Heb 9:12, 14.)

8. "If we say we have no sin": the Old Testament often says that all
men are sinners (cf. 7:70; Job 9:2; 14:4; 15:14; 25:4; Prov 20:9; Ps
14:1-4; 51; etc.) and this is also clear from the New Testament (cf.
especially Rom 3:10-18). The Council of Trent condemns anyone who says
"that a man once justified cannot sin again and cannot lose grace" ("De
Iustificatione", can. 23).

Loss of the sense of sin is a danger that threatens man in all epochs.
The Apostle's warning (to his contemporaries in the first instance) has
particular relevance in our own time." "Deceived by the loss of the
sense of sin," John Paul II reminds us, "and at times by an illusion of
sinlessness which is not at all Christian, the people of today also
need to listen again to St John's admonition, as addressed to each one
of them personally: 'If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us', and indeed 'the whole world is in the
power of the evil one' (1 Jn 5:19). Every individual therefore is
invited by the voice of divine truth to examine realistically his or
her conscience, and to confess that he or she has been brought forth in
iniquity, as we say in the "Miserere" Psalm (cf. Ps 51:7)"
("Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia", 22).

9-10. "If we confess our sins": the Council of Trent quotes this text
(without intending to define its exact meaning) when it teaches that
confession of sins is of divine institution: 'The Catholic Church has
always understood that integral confession of sins was also instituted
by the Lord (Jas 5:16; 1 Jn 1:9; Lk 17:14) and is by divine law
necessary for all falls after Baptism" ("De Sacramento Paenitentia",
chap. 5).

The sacred writer puts emphasis on the interior disposition of the
Christian: he should humbly admit that he is a sinner; and St Augustine
explains: "If you confess yourself to be a sinner, the truth is in you:
the truth is light. Your life does not yet shine as brightly as it
might, because there are sins in you; but now you are beginning to be
enlightened, because you confess your iniquities" ("In Epist. Joann. Ad
Parthos", 1, 6).

"Faithful and just": a translation of two Hebrew words which literally
have to do with love and faithfulness. The Old Testament uses this
expression to stress that God's faithful love is always ready to
forgive.

1-2. In order to make sure that no one makes a wrong appeal to divine
mercy so as to justify their continuing to sin, St John exhorts all to
avoid sin. It is one thing to acknowledge that we are sinners and to be
conscious of our frailty; it is a very different matter to become
completely passive or pessimistic, as if it were not possible to avoid
offending God. "Jesus understands our weakness and draws us to himself
on an inclined plane," Monsignor Escriva explains. "He wants us to make
an effort to climb a little each day. He seeks us out, just as he did
the disciples of Emmaus, whom he went out to meet. He sought Thomas,
showed himself to him and made him touch with his fingers the open
wounds in his hands and side. Jesus Christ is always waiting for us to
return to him; he knows our weakness" ("Christ Is Passing By", 75).

"My little children": it is difficult to translate this and other
similar expressions in St John, charged as they are with tenderness and
a sense of pastoral responsibility. They express a deep, strong love,
like that of Jesus at the Last Supper (cf. Jn 13:33). This same Greek
term appears six more times in this letter (2:12, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:
21); at other times he uses words equivalent to our "my little ones"
(cf. 2:14, 18) or "dearly beloved" (2:7; 3:2, 21; 4:1, 7, 11; 3 Jn 2,
5, 11). All these expressions reflect how very close St John was to the
faithful.

"We have an advocate with the Father": Jesus Christ, who is the only
Mediator (cf. 1 Tim 2:5), intercedes for us. He, who has died for our
sins (he is "the expiation"), presents his infinite merits to God the
Father, by virtue of which the Father pardons us always. The Holy
Spirit is also called Paraclete or Advocate insofar as he accompanies,
consoles and guides each Christian, and the whole Church, on its
earthly pilgrimage (cf. note on Jn 14:16-17).

"St John the Apostle exhorts us to avoid sin", St Alphonsus says, "but
because he is afraid we will lose heart when we remember our past
faults, he encourages us to hope for forgiveness provided we are firmly
resolved not to fall again; he tells us that we have to put our affairs
in order with Christ, who died not only to forgive us but also (after
dying) to become our advocate with the heavenly father" ("Reflections
on the Passion", Chap. 9, 2).

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

From: Matthew 2:13-18

The Flight Into Egypt

---

[13] Now when they (the Magi) had departed, behold, an angel of the
Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the Child and
His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for
Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him." [14] And he
rose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed to Egypt,
[15]and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill
what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called My
Son."

The Massacre of the Innocents

---

[16] Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men,
was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in
Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under,
according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men.
[17] Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
[18] "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel
weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were
no more."

---

Commentary:

14. St. John Chrysostom, commenting on this passage, draws a particular
attention to Joseph's faithfulness and obedience: "On hearing this,
Joseph was not scandalized, nor did he say, `This is hard to
understand. You yourself told me not long ago that He would save His
people, and not He is not able to save even Himself. Indeed, we have
to flee and undertake a journey and be away for a long time...'. But
he does not say any of these things, because Joseph is a faithful man.
Neither does he ask when they will be coming back, even though the
angel had left it open when he said `and remain there till I tell
you.' This does not hold him back: on the contrary, he obeys, believes
and endures all trials with joy" ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 8).

It is worth noting also how God's way of dealing with His chosen ones
contains light and shade: they have to put up with intense sufferings
side by side with great joy: "It can be clearly seen that God, who is
full of love for man, mixes pleasant things with unpleasant ones, as He
did with all the Saints. He gives us neither dangers nor consolations
in a continual way, but rather He makes the lives of the just a mixture
of both. This was what He did with Joseph" ("ibid".).

15. The text of Hosea 11:1 speaks of a child who comes out of Egypt and
is a son of God. This refers in the first place to the people of
Israel whom God brought out of Egypt under Moses' leadership. But this
event was a symbol or prefiguration of Jesus, the Head of the Church,
the New People of God. It is in Him that this prophecy is principally
fulfilled. The sacred text gives a quotation from the Old Testament in
the light of its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The Old Testament
achieves its full meaning in Christ, and, in the words of St. Paul, to
read it without keeping in mind Jesus is to have one's face covered by
a veil (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:12-18).

18. Ramah was the city in which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
concentrated the Israelites he had taken prisoner. Since Ramah was in
the land of Benjamin, Jeremiah puts this lament for the children of
Israel in the mouth of Rachel, the mother of Benjamin and Joseph. So
great was the misfortune of those exiled to Babylon that Jeremiah says
poetically that Rachel's sorrow is too great to allow for consolation.

"Rachel was buried in the racecourse near Bethlehem. Since her grave
was nearby and the property belonged to her son, Benjamin (Rachel was of
the tribe of Benjamin), the children beheaded in Bethlehem could
reasonably be called Rachel's children" (St John Chrysostom, "Hom. on
St Matthew", 9).

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

THE HOLY INNOCENTS

(28 DEC NT)

  

We read in Matthew 2 that when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, King Herod, fearing for his throne, ordered that all the male infants of Bethlehem be killed. These children are regarded as martyrs for the Gospel -- "martyrs in fact though not in will." Augustine called them "buds, killed by the frost of persecution the moment they showed themselves." For a discussion of the historical background of the episode, send the message

PRAYER
We remember this day, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem by the order of King Herod. Receive, we beseech thee, into the arms of thy mercy all innocent victims; and by thy great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish thy rule of justice, love, and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Reflections for Advent and Christmas, [November 28, 2004 - January 9, 2005]

[Salvation]

FEAST OF THE DAY

After the birth of Jesus, he was visited by the three wise men from
the East. When these men arrived they had first visited King Herod
who was the Roman ruler of Judea. When Herod heard that another
king had been born who was greater than he was, he began to fear
that he might lose his power. To stop any dispute of his rule from
starting, he ordered the massacre of all the boys of the area of
Bethlehem who were two years and younger. Joseph had been
warned of the wickedness of Herod by a dream and fled to Egypt, so
Jesus was spared.

The execution of these children, to maintain the power of the king,
echoes the command given by Pharaoh in the first chapter of
Exodus. Pharaoh's command ordered the death of and male Jew.
Moses was saved from this slaughter and became one of the great
leaders of Israel and led them out of Egypt and guided them for forty
years on their journey to the Promised Land.

These Holy Innocents killed by the order of Herod were the first
people to die for the sake of Christ. They did nothing that caused
them to deserve death, they were in the wrong place at the wrong
time. Likewise in our own day and age, there are holy innocents
being killed everyday. These children are not being killed because
they have done something wrong. These are the innocent victims of
abortion, neglect, and war.


QUOTE OF THE DAY

When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the Magi, he
became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in
Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and younger, in accordance
with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled
what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: "A voice was
heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for
her children, and she would not be consoled, since there were no
more." Mt 2:16-18


TODAY IN HISTORY

418 St Boniface I begins his reign as Pope
1878 Pope Leo XIII publishes " Quod Apostolici muneris" (on Socialism)
1832 St. Louis Academy (founded in 1818) receives its charter as St. Louis
University


TODAY'S TIDBIT

The encyclical "Quod Apostolici Muneris" released on this day in
1878 was a reiteration of earlier warnings Pope Leo XIII had
published against socialism. He was concerned by the rapid spread
of the ideas of socialism across the world and its formal denial of
God that many socialists promoted.


INTENTION FOR THE DAY

Please pray for an increase in the virtues of faith, hope and love
throughout the world.

[Salvation]

[Salvation]

Tuesday, December 28, 2004
The Holy Innocents, Martyrs (Feast)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

1 John 1:5 -- 2:2 Psalm 124:2-5, 7-8 Matthew 2:13-18 As Scripture says, "Those who instruct many in justice will shine as stars for all eternity." They will attain this more easily if they make a covenant of perpetual obedience and strive to cling to Christ and please him alone, because, in his words, "What you did to one of the least of my brethren, you did to me."  -- Saint Joseph Calasanz

[annalex]

Mt 2:13-18
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
13	And after they were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him.	qui cum recessissent ecce angelus Domini apparuit in somnis Ioseph dicens surge et accipe puerum et matrem eius et fuge in Aegyptum et esto ibi usque dum dicam tibi futurum est enim ut Herodes quaerat puerum ad perdendum eum
14	Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod:	qui consurgens accepit puerum et matrem eius nocte et recessit in Aegyptum
15	That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called my son.	et erat ibi usque ad obitum Herodis ut adimpleretur quod dictum est a Domino per prophetam dicentem ex Aegypto vocavi filium meum
16	Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry: and sending killed all the menchildren that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.	tunc Herodes videns quoniam inlusus esset a magis iratus est valde et mittens occidit omnes pueros qui erant in Bethleem et in omnibus finibus eius a bimatu et infra secundum tempus quod exquisierat a magis
17	Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying:	tunc adimpletum est quod dictum est per Hieremiam prophetam dicentem
18	A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.	vox in Rama audita est ploratus et ululatus multus Rachel plorans filios suos et noluit consolari quia non sunt

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	Walk Fearlessly with Him into the Light
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	December 28, 2004

The Feast of the Holy Innocents

1 John 1:5-2:2; Matthew 2:13-18

Murder on a large scale was entirely in character for King Herod, who had not flinched at killing members of his own family, to say nothing of countless numbers of political opponents and potential rivals for his throne. Despite all his wealth and power, Herod lived in inner darkness, driven by fear and knowing no peace. His was hardly a life to be envied, even though he thought himself to be the most fortunate man in the kingdom.

Though no kings, we could end up in the same condition, desperately grasping for happiness but living empty-handed in the dark. John reminds us today that this is not what God, Who is light, has in mind for us. “Walk in light,” he says to us, and Jesus “will cleanse us from every wrong.”

What does it mean to walk in the light? It means to open up to God every closed and hidden space in our souls, and to cling to nothing that is darkness. It means living simply and transparently in His presence, letting Him show us the way, and trusting Him so thoroughly that we do not fear to walk where we’ve never walked before.

The Lord is calling us to walk with Him into the new year and to live with Him in a new way, in peace and without fear. Listen to His call and walk fearlessly with Him into the light.

 

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Tuesday, December 28, 2004 Meditation Matthew 2:13-18 The Holy Innocents In any age, the murder of innocent, defenseless children is an unspeakable horror. Who among us could not be moved to great sorrow-even anger-by such horrible acts of violence? How could Herod order such an abominable act? The truth is that sin and evil are harsh realities of our world. It is just as true today as it was in Herod's time. Even today, despots like Herod terrorize their own people. And even today, innocent children are being killed throughout the world through abortion. Thousands die each day. How will this horror ever be stopped? More than anything else, we need to be asking the Holy Spirit to move in the hearts of people so that they will see the horror of abortion and work to end it. Laws can go only so far. It is only when the Holy Spirit touches a person that a real transformation happens. That's when someone turns from darkness to light, embracing the truth about the dignity of every human life. As we seek God about ways to overcome the murder of innocents in our day, it is important to remember that those who are complicit in this tragedy are children of God no less than those who cherish all life. While abortion is a great evil, we must remember that every person who participates in this evil is still deeply loved by our Father in heaven and endowed with great dignity. Remember: It was Jesus' unbounded mercy that melted the heart of the sinful woman (Luke 7:36-50). It was the father's extravagant love that welcomed the prodigal son back home and bestowed him with great honor (15:11-24). And it was the look of love in Jesus' eyes that moved Peter to weep tears of repentance after he denied the Lord (22:60-62). May we too look upon everyone around us as our brother or sister. May we look upon them with the same mercy and compassion with which Jesus does. And may the witness of our humble love, our peace in every circumstance, and our joy in life help soften hardened hearts! “Lord Jesus, please pour out the Holy Spirit upon every person who needs the grace of conversion in order to see the preciousness of each human life.”

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Tuesday, December 28, 2004 >>

Holy Innocents

1 John 1:5—2:2

Psalm 124

Matthew 2:13-18

View Readings

EXHAUSTIVE COMMITMENT

“He is an Offering for our sins, and not for our sins only, but for those of the whole world.” —1 John 2:2

Today is the feast day of the Holy Innocents, the infants King Herod ordered slaughtered within two years following the appearance of the star to the Wise Men (Mt 2:16). The Church holds in the highest regard these innocent children, these martyrs. “They died not only for Christ, but in his stead” (St. Augustine, “Sermon 10 on holiness”).

Are there innocent babies being aborted today, dying because of what we had done or maybe because of what we have not done? (see 1 Jn 1:8, 10; Mt 2:18)

Once I saw a photo of a statue of Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, and a donkey lying in a big heap, depicting their complete exhaustion in the effort to protect Jesus from being slain (cf Mt 2:13). The statue, which can be seen at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, is entitled, “The Holy Family Resting — The Flight into Egypt.” According to the description, “this sculpture represents Jesus, Mary and Joseph struggling, against great obstacles, to foster family life and preserve their faith in a loving and merciful God.”

Every one of us can certainly identify with the exhaustion of the Holy Family. Let us commit ourselves, with an eternal focus, to work to exhaustion to protect and proclaim the Gospel of Life.

Prayer: Father, give me the grace to work until exhaustion for You.

Promise: “If we say, ‘We have never sinned,’ we make Him a liar and His Word finds no place in us.” —1 Jn 1:10

Praise: The Holy Innocents were the first of countless witnesses to the only Holy One. They are a sign of hope for all those little ones who have died in the state of innocence.

[fatima]

Salvation,Pro-life Mass bump.