Children of the world
From today’s Scripture: “God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.”—1 Jn 1:5
The Feast of the Holy Innocents, those children murdered by order of Herod, always fills me with great sadness. The unjust suffering of the children of the world continues to cause my heart to ache. Whether it be the innocent ones who lose their lives by abortion, or as victims of gun violence and domestic violence, or through illness like cancer, the deep pain and dark shadow weakens my heart. Yet, we are people of the light. We need to find that inner faith, the inner spark, that gleam of hope to walk on.
The death of the innocents is always a consequence of sin in the world. Not necessarily one personal sin but of the culturally collective sin where the world’s priority is not on saving children. Instead it may be on anything else other than protecting rights: gaining profit, promoting government power, and establishing control.
Maybe one way to bring on the light is to be a voice for the children of the world and ask politicians, business people and others of influence, how are their priorities improving the lives of children around the world? How are they protecting the holy innocents of today?
Let us pray: O dear Jesus, look after our smallest and most innocent children in every corner of the world. Strengthen their parents. Provide them with safety. Fill them with love and hope in a world free from violence and evil. Help me be one of their protectors and guides.
Today’s author is Glenmary Father Steve Pawelk, codirector of Glenmary’s novitiate program. Prior to that he was a mission pastor in East Tennessee.
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