Feast of the Holy Innocents

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A gift is anything that one is given, or has and treasures it. Among the most beautiful, precious, and treasured gifts to human beings is life. Life is God’s given gift to us which needs to be handled with care and love to all mankind. We are created in the image and likeness of God, thus when one sees another person, he sees the image of God himself.

Herod had greed of power and was troubled to hear about the special child born, whom the prophets had foretold. (Mt: 2:1-18). Greed of power is very dangerous, as it breeds sins. Herod had jealousy, envy, and greed. He feared when he heard that the King had been born into the world. He did not know exactly where Jesus was born. His plans were to kill him, so he ordered all male children below two years of age to be killed. The innocents were slaughtered as infants for Christ; spotless. These innocents follow the Lamb and sing forever - Glory to God.

The Holy Innocents are few in comparison to the genocide, racism, and abortions of our world today. Even if there had been only one unborn infant, child or a person killed, it remains an injustice and is against God’s will. We recognize the greatest treasure of life that God put on earth; a human person destined for eternity and graced by Jesus’s death and resurrection.

The Holy Innocents confessed and proclaimed Jesus Christ not by speaking, but by dying. We as Christians are invited to proclaim and profess our faith by our good ways of living. We may be the light to the world, following the footsteps of Jesus who is the light of the World. (John 1:9)

Today we have responsibility to take care of our brothers and sisters who are suffering and dying because of color, class, ethnicity, nationality, powerlessness, and poverty. We stand and speak for these and for the life of unborn children.

Sr. Theresia Lemeri, SFC ‘23

Sr. Feliciana Chelangwa, SFC ‘23

Little Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi