Reading 1 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 Ps 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.
R. 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.
R. 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.
R. 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.
Meditation: 1 John 1:5–2:2
The Holy Innocents
He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins. (1 John 1:9)
It’s impossible to read the chilling story of Herod’s slaughter of the boys in Bethlehem without shuddering. It’s also hard not to think of the curse of abortion, which continues to destroy Holy Innocents in our day— not just one time in one place but day after day in city after city.
But in the face of this horrific truth, God calls us to walk in the light. So stand up, and let that light shine on you today.
Perhaps you have been involved in an abortion, as a client or as a provider. Perhaps you pressured a pregnant relative or friend to consider one, or pretended you didn’t know what was going on. If so, know that God’s mercy is far greater than your sin. There is forgiveness and healing for you.
Perhaps you have harshly judged a pregnant woman who chose abortion, condemning instead of trying to understand and help her. If so, remember Jesus’ caution about not casting the first stone (John 8:7), and ask him to help you love this person more.
Perhaps you have voiced opposition to abortion for many years, but now you are tempted to give up, feeling that the tide will never turn. You too need to seek God’s forgiveness and find strength to persevere. Statistics show that a new generation of pro-life young people is rising up. God may be calling you to join with these newcomers and become a mentor to them.
St. John says we delude ourselves if we think any of us is without sin. But we are just as deluded if we will not accept the forgiveness he freely offers us.
Every human life is precious to our Father: the life of the unborn baby, the life of the frightened mother, the life of the abortionist, the life of the passive Christian, the life of the discouraged activist. His unconditional love reaches out to each of us, strengthening us to move forward in a life-affirming way. So let’s never give up the fight; let’s never stop promoting the sacredness of all life. Let’s keep trying to heal this devastating wound in our society—and let us do it all with love.
“Father, receive all the little ones slain in our era. Collect the tears of the guilty as well, and use them to bring about change.”
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