THURSDAY DECEMBER 28, 2023
OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS YEAR B
FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS.
1 John 1:5—2:2
Matthew 2:13-18
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE TODAY
From time immemorial, there has been little or no value placed on human life by most people in authority, people of influence and people whose pride, wealth, comfort and peace have been challenged. When confronted by the pressures of life, there is always the urge to destroy human life in order to protect the ego, maintain pride, authority and wealth.
This brings to question our value for human life. What value do we place on human life? In the time of Jesus, we see the account of the killing of children when it was told the King, Herod that a child who is also a king has been born into the land. It pushed the anger and exposed the cruelty of Herod who ordered the extermination of infants of male extraction within the ages in of two in his kingdom.
His calculation was to eliminate the supposed child – King through random killing since he could not get the actual or precise king child. This action was intended to be able to protect and maintain his kingship and his territory. The need to fight this battle of protecting himself and his kingdom from being taken over by an unknown person whether human or divine through the destruction of life and by any means reveals the cruelty of man but more importantly, exposes the very nature man can go to protect his power, wealth and pride.
Taking Herod as a model of cruelty of man, we can say in all honesty that they abound Herods of all dimensions in our world. The political class who want power at all cost can go any route to keep his power by killing and maiming any soul that stands as stumbling block to them. Same can be said of those confronted by unwanted pregnancy, to protected their pride, and those who have committed one atrocity to the knowledge of others may want to eliminate and kill those through whose knowledge this crime may be exposed to others.
The unwanted killings in our world arises majorly from this same spirit of Herod. It exposes us to the darkness in our world. That man prefers to dwell in darkness and prefer the works of darkness as Saint John tells us in the first reading of today.
But the good news is that God’s plans and ways are very difficult to thwart or derail. What God has planned no man can ever destroy it. The plan of Herod never succeeded. And the cruelty of man never results in goodness or brings something good. It leads to evil and dead conscience. There is no need to continue on this evil. We must begin to place priority on protection of life and abiding by God’s ways and ordinances.
And that is living in the light and truth. Life in the light, accepting what we cannot change is better and will always free our minds from all encumbrances. Living with respect for life and protection of life at all stages of life should be our deepest desire and striving. There is no need to ever go against the moral code of conduct of Christians talk less of committing murder of any kind.
We must place our pride, our wealth and our ego below life and seek always to protect life uphold life and enhance life. This is our supreme task and calling as Christians.
Heavenly Father, your gift of life is the greatest gift to the world. May we walk always in the light to keep upholding, protecting and enhancing life. Lord, protect our lives from devilish and jealous people, kidnappers, murderers and ritualists. Grant that we may value life and help to guard and protect human life against extermination of any kind. May the souls of the innocent children aborted and other persons killed out of cruelty and wickedness of man rest in peace. Amen.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
