HOLY INNOCENTS, Martyrs : Thursday 28th December 2023

The letters of John insist that God is light, and in God, there is no darkness at all. And if we are to walk in the light, we must become the light, too. But there is a problem – we are weak and sometimes sin. The Lord Jesus will cleanse us of our sins, but we must be humble and transparent with Him.

The most grievous sin is denial and dishonesty. That means claiming to be sinless and holy when one is clearly not. When we refuse to acknowledge our own darkness and sin, we project it onto people and groups, becoming self-righteous and condemning.

The Holy Family became refugees and asylum seekers. They were safe in Egypt, but some children in Bethlehem were not. Venting his murderous rage as all tyrants do, Herod ordered the slaughter of the male infants of Bethlehem – the first martyrs. Children are always the first victims of war, famine, and persecution – both then and now. Many suffer persecution and are being driven from their homes. All decent people must do all they can to help them and alleviate their suffering.

Lord, cleanse me of my sins.