He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem...
Father, this has always been
a tough gospel for me.
It's not Herod's cruelty;
we humans are often very cruel.
No, it's how you warn Joseph to save Jesus,
and then leave the other children
to be put to the sword.
How, Lord, do you stay silent
amid such suffering?
I know you are God
and owe me no explanations.
But, Father, I wish I could understand.
I also realize my hypocrisy here,
For with children being slain
all the time-in the womb, by poverty,
by pollution, by abuse and neglect,
and sometimes being starved,
by their own governments,
I usually stay silent too.
Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by the misery
and don't know what to do.
Sometimes I lack courage.
Sometimes I'm just too full
of my own problems and concerns.
Father, your Son was born so that
we might all have life through him.
Help me to take this seriously,
and to do what I can to bring life to others.
Your angel was a powerful friend
who saved Jesus in Bethlehem.
Please help me to be a powerful friend
to the suffering and vulnerable,
whenever and however I can.
And someday, Lord, please,
help me to understand.
Amen.
For a prayer for today from the sacramentary of Pope Saint Leo the Great, see page 192 in the December issue of Living with Christ.
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