The Holy Innocents

When I was a child, one of my 'church books' (church book - a book I was allowed to look at during Mass) that I was always most drawn to was this story, from the Gospel today. There was something in this story, that as a small child, drew my heart to the tragedy of all those children. I just remember the pictures of the soldiers walking through the arches with swords in hand and mothers everywhere fallen to the ground weeping over the bodies of their lifeless children. I had, somehow, forgotten that book, until today.

As I was reminded of the story today, it led me to ponder first, "What was so appealing to be about that book?" I wonder if I looked at it in curiosity, confusion, or compassion...what was it? Could it be my heart hurting for those who die so young, so innocent, so holy? My mother had a still born child. At that early of an age, could I have been sympathizing with the other woman who lost their babies? I'm still reflecting about that!

I went to celebrate Mass with our senior sisters, and Fr. Michael elaborated on this tragedy that caught my attention from a very early age. We were asked, have you ever known someone who, though many were affected (or in some cases even died), escaped tragedy, and was left asking the questions, "Why me? Why did I survive?" It was proposed that Jesus might have, in His humanity, wondered the same thing. Why me?

That "Why me?" is a question that we must all find ourselves asking at some point in our lives. Two minutes earlier and we would have been in a car accident. Just a few minutes earlier on the train and that could have been us...we've all experienced this, so, why us? Good question. The answer is what we do. The answer is how we respond with action to the call of God in our lives everyday, because if we're still here, there is a "why." There is a reason. And the world offers us too many examples of "holy innocents' today, too many unjust 'deaths.' It should be our goal...our reponsibility...our purpose to be the 'reason' why we're still here (or at least try)! It's not an easy thing to attain, but one that Christ also sought, himself! Let us get to work!