The third day after Christmas, the birth of the Jesus child. Three days and feast days that commemorate martyrdom: St Stephen and Holy Innocents. What does the Herod-driven massacre of boys two years and under speak to us? More than 20 centuries later the massacre and damage has not ended ... to the contrary it has become a global scandal. Rare is the edition of a major newspaper that does not report evil inflicted on young people: abduction (and usually sexual abuse), physical and sexual abuse, starvation, various forms of torture, and even slaughter. Yes, slaughter when children are treated like animals.The modern "innocents" are reminders that evil of tortuous pain is alive and well in villages, cities, states, and countries through the world. For us in the USA this can be no cause of pride in our "sweet land of liberty," the wealthiest nation on the earth.
The abuse and death of a child touches countless people not just one family. The abduction and murder of an eleven year old girl at Christmas stunned many in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
Imagine the fears that must exist in the hearts and minds of many of our young people who hear radio and TV reports about children being harmed. Mustn't they look at many adults with leery suspicions? What an existence.
Can we not use the annual commemoration of the Holy Innocents to raise awareness of this prevalent evil in our generation? We, as a people, must be more than "stunned" by such events, such evils. We march each year in January to protest the legalization of the taking of the lives of young unborn children. What can we do to protect the young, born children in our society?
What does society think of itself when scenes like that above, posted by Burca Alice Larisa on her blog, are a reminder that such joy, such simplicity, such innocence is no longer safe in the world.
