Scripture:
1 John 1:5-2:2
Matthew 2:13-18
Reflection:
Beloved: This is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christ and proclaim to you: God is light, and in God there is no darkness at all.
The darkness that enveloped all of the families who lost innocent children in the massacre ordered by Herod must have been overwhelming! This passage from the gospel of Matthew paints this sad state of affairs as we read:
“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.”
The tragic end of life for so many innocent children in Bethlehem so long ago continues to happen daily, hourly and in some instances minute by minutes in our families, communities and throughout the world! Whether these atrocities happen in our neighborhoods, cities, towns, or as far away as Aleppo and other wartorn countries, we feel Rachel’s pain and weep for the lost. The Herod’s of our time are just as dangerous and in some way even more so than the Herod of Rachel’s time!
Our faith in a God who is light and walks with us through the darkness that can be overwhelming is the hope we carry with us during this Christmas season! The great gift of that innocent child born in Bethlehem so long ago is the light that will guide us through dark days and nights. May we embrace this miracle and give thanks for the gift we all have received at Christmas.
May God’s light continue to shine on you during the coming new year! Christmas Blessings!
Theresa Secord is a Pastoral Associate at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.