At the first Christmas, the innocent children of Bethlehem were massacred by Herod. At this Christmas, the Herods of our time still convulse at the reality of God becoming man. They express their repulsion by killing children in and out of the womb through abortion, starvation, and abuse.
For every Herod, there is a Joseph. For every murderer, there is a disciple of Jesus, who will be told by the Lord how to save the lives of children. The Lord told St. Joseph to "take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt" (Mt 2:13). What is He telling you? You're not responsible to do everything, but you can do something. What is the Lord saying?
Can He talk to you? Are you open to surprises, sacrifices, corrections, or challenges? Are there things you refuse to hear, defenses you won't let down, sacrifices you won't make, and sin you won't admit? The first question is not: "What am I hearing?" but "What am I willing to hear?" The Lord can save lives through you if you let Him talk to you.
| PRAYER: | Father, may I not stand idly by when people are dying (Lv 19:16). |
| PROMISE: | "If anyone should sin, we have, in the presence of the Father, Jesus Christ, an Intercessor Who is just. He is an Offering for our sins, and not for our sins only, but for those of the whole world." –1 Jn 2:1-2 |
| PRAISE: | The Holy Innocents now number in the millions. They pray for us to repent. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College