HOLY AND  INNOCENT: 

IT’S DIFFICULT TO BE BOTH

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Holy And Innocent: It’s Difficult to Be Both.”

As we reach this feast of the Holy Innocents - December 28^th - every year - we reflect upon the death of children - innocent children - whether it’s here in the time of Christ as in today’s gospel or whether it’s today in school shootings, or drone attacks, violent ruining, raping, and destroying homes and villages around our world - during which innocent children are killed - as well as the many abortions that happen each day.

Okay - in a way - it’s easy sitting here - to look at all that and make disapproval sounds like, “Tch … tch…tch!”  - because we are so far from Syria and Somalia - and in that way it’s easy to be against the slaughter of the innocents.

We all know it’s easier to rant about abortion and homosexuality - till we discover these stories in our own families - or when friends tell us how they feel when these issues were made paramount in the voting season.

BUT

But if we want to be challenged today, here is a challenge: climb high above the territory and look at the killing of innocents that me, myself, and I do, in a multitude of unholy - not-so-innocent  ways.

Where the tire hits the road - at least for me - is the way I abort others by my judgments - by my neglect of others - by my not listening - by my avoiding of others - by the way I kill a tiny bit of the spirit of another - by a put down, a dig, a way I want the other to be other than they are. I can be standing there listening to another - but in reality,  I can’t wait to run back - to escape back to my warm, “liquidy” safe womb - room - inside my mind - to hide in my own quiet personal inner space.

To be holy - Jesus told us to notice - to stop - to help - the hurting and wounded on the road.

To be holy - Jesus showed us that he noticed who touched the hem of his garment - those who were tugging at him for life - for attention - for recognition.

To be holy - Jesus made us aware of who’s really putting their whole self into the basket - their 2 cents - while others are putting in the not of their being, the fluff and foam off the top.

To be holy - Jesus showed us he was aware of life within - the others - reading their hearts and minds.  He certainly knew the kick in the womb - of  the unborn - unheard from - those who were sent packing to leave the community because of leprosy or sin - those who tend to be pelted by rejection rocks.

To be holy - Jesus showed us he was aware of cemeteries - not so much the ones - along our roads - or those on the edge of cities - but he was aware of cemeteries inside people's minds and hearts - or those garbage dumps within - the hell on this side of hell.

That's some of the holy; here are a few ways of the innocent.

To be innocent is to be childlike - to have a sense of play - and not to be the one who is always so, so, so serious.

To be innocent is to be childlike - and to know whether the other is aware of me - or others - not by the color of our skin or the amount of wrinkles we have - or perfume or aftershave on - or the cost and quality and look of our clothes - but because we and others are all are children of God - so we put down our papers or we stop our babbling and give all little ones our love and attention.

CONCLUSION

So on this Feast of the Holy Innocents, we can picture that scene in the scriptures in Bethlehem when Herod tried to kill all future opposition - by killing all the little baby boys  - or we can look at our everyday encounters, meetings, experiences with each other - and be challenged to give life to one another and not ignoring or cutting off the presence of life just in front of us.  Tough stuff. 

OOOOOOO

Painting on top - one of the graphic abortion paintings by William Kurelek [1927-1977]