The First Sunday of Christmas falls on December 28th this year. December 28th is also Holy Innocents day, in remembrance of those children who fell to Herod’s sword. Although the lessons for today are for the First Sunday of Christmas, it is appropriate that we also acknowledge Holy Innocents Day. Look up the story in the Bible in your pew. It is at Matthew 2:1-12.
At one time some were reluctant to believe Matthew’s history, because the murder of babies seemed so barbaric. The rest of Herod’s historical record showed such evil to be entirely in character for him. Just as sadly, the killing of unwanted children has been a common practice throughout history.
The observance of Holy Innocents day has taken on renewed meaning in the United States over the last few years, for it was in the same time of the year, January of 1973, that the Supreme Court of the United States invalidated all the laws in all the states that protected unborn children from death by abortion. Even though Holy Innocents refers to the children killed by Herod, the parallel is hard to miss. Since 1973 over 40,000,000 children have been aborted in the United States alone.
Rather than point self-righteously at Herod as a hideously evil man, we should all be reminded of how sinful we are, and how, just by constant exposure, we can easily grow tolerant of sin.
We not only need to accept our obligation as citizens to oppose the legal killing of the unborn, we also need to be active in love toward those who are struggling with situations that put them in temptation’s way. Whether it be by supporting Clearly Caring or other groups that help women in distress, or by encouraging the God-ordained family, we can reduce the death toll.