CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE

Feast of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs
Mt 2:13-18

In any war, there are no winners; all are losers. And many innocent people die in the crossfire. Today, we remember the children caught in a rather peculiar battle.

Herod wanted to kill the Baby Jesus because he felt threatened by His birth and the prophecies linked to Him. Herod was ready and willing to sacrifice other people’s lives to keep his grip on the throne. Such madness! Such evil!

But Herod represents us when we put people in danger in our pursuit of self-centered gains. Some of us are even willing to victimize on others for selfish ends while some are unwilling victims.

Today, let us remember people we have sacrificed for our personal agenda. While we beg for forgiveness, let us do our best to set aright whatever we have rendered wrong.

Christmas is not about sacrificing others for the self. It is about sacrificing the self for others instead. As we linger by the Christmas crèche, we see Jesus who comes as a sacrificial lamb, lying in a manger, like food for the beasts. Christmas should remind us that we are called to sacrifice our selves for others, to die to our selves so that others may live.

The Holy Innocents who died thousands of years ago – because of a king whose love for power turned him into a bloodthirsty dog – continue crying today. They are the aborted infants, the abandoned babies, the children caught in crossfires, the boys and girls who are exploited in many horrific ways. Their cries pierce our hearts. We cannot but be disturbed so as to act on their behalf.

Today’s feast is not a day for making practical jokes on each other, as many people think it is. It is a day to stand with those caught in the crossfire and to shield them from death. Not again should the innocent die. No one should suffer again.