December 28. Holy Innocents. Matthew’s gospel tells the story of the three foreign Wise Men bringing gifts. It also tells how King Herod out of jealousy and fear about a possible new king of the Jews ordered the murder of all baby boys in Bethlehem. Joseph was warned in a dream to take Mary and baby Jesus and escape into exile.

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the Wise Men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem who were two years old or under. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, a voice was heard in Ramah, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled because they were no more.” Matt 2. The second task of the family as the domestic church is to serve life from conception until natural death.” John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio. Reflect and Share. There are many lessons here. We are outraged daily at news reports of the injustice of killing innocent children. However, should we not feel greater outrage at the killing of so many unborn babies through abortion all over the world? And at the same time should we not also feel concern for the situations that lead to such a drastic choice? The task of families is to serve life in the widest sense. Would that not also include drinking and driving and destroying our health through substance abuse? How genuinely lifegiving and life-preserving are we being, starting at home?