This year’s celebration of the Lord’s birth, the Holy Innocents, and the Holy Family are more poignant than ever as we continue to pray for the grieving families in Newtown.
The birth of the Eternal Son of God as a helpless child reminds us of how precious the life of each child is. The Holy Innocents who were killed by Herod’s senseless rage, starkly reminds us of how the lives of innocent children in Sandy Hook Elementary School were taken. Last weekend’s Feast of the Holy Family should prompt us to draw closer together, to strengthen those all important relationships of truth, trust, and love.
With the celebration of the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God comes also the annual celebration of the World Day of Peace. Mary the Mother of God has given to the world the Prince of Peace. And how we long for the peace He came to bring.
Strengthened by the celebration of these mysteries, these events in the Lord’s life which reveal the hidden life and love of God, let us resolve as a community of faith in our time and place to replace a culture of violence and death with a culture of life and love. In such a culture …
- All human life is valued and cherished;
- The gratuitous celebration of violence and death in entertainment is curbed;
- Weapons of destruction are not placed in the hands of those who are troubled;
- Mental health services are available to individuals and families who need them; and,
- Churches and faith-based organizations are welcomed and allowed to contribute to the common good.
May the New Year be a time of peace and joy for you and your loved ones.