“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.” Sadly, this passage is all too real today as we see the children massacred in Israel and the babies and children dying daily in Gaza. All these along with children dying from famine in Africa are the “holy innocents”. As we hear in today’s Gospel these innocent children are often the victims of the fury of violent despots. We weep for all these innocent victims of human hatred and violence.
In our first reading John proclaims to us the core Gospel message: “God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.” He is writing to us to remind us that we cannot claim to be Christians if we do not do God’s will: “If we say, ‘We have fellowship with him,’ while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth.”
Who is the one true God? John simply and profoundly proclaims: “God is love.” He goes on to remind us, “and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.” (1 John 4:16). We are called to be loving and compassionate people because we have been loved by God: “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8-8).
We are challenged to be people of hope and love in the midst of a world that is at times hateful and violent. The Christmas message is one of peace and love, not in some naïve way but as a real challenge to oppose and reject anyone and any leader who chooses the language and the way of hatred and violence. We cannot be Christians and children of God and follow this path of hatred, of racism, and of violence. As we remember and pray today for all the innocent children of our world, Jesus also calls us to be innocent: “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).
Image: “children playing” by Constantine Agustin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.