Often called Childermas or Kindermord, the Sunday between Christmas and Epiphany traditionally solemnizes the slaughter of the children of Judea by Herod. It provides focus for the Christian’s commitment to protect and preserve the sanctity of all human life—thus serving as a prophetic warning against the practicioners of abandonment and infanticide in the age of antiquity, oblacy and pessiary in the medieval epoch, and abortion and euthanasia in these modern times. Generally set aside as a day of prayer, it culminates with a declaration of the covenant community’s unflinching commitment to the innocents who are unable to protect themselves.
“Do unto others as if you were the others.” Leonardo da Vinci
“If I profess with
the loudest voice and clearest exposition every part of the truth of God except
precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking,
then I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him. Where
the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady
on all battlefields besides is merely flight and disgrace if he flinches at
that point.” Martin Luther
“All the starry hosts of heaven and of earth declare with
one voice the glory bestowed on these sublime creatures of the Living God,
these creatures made just a little lower than Himself. We can do no better than to acknowledge
our acceptance of Him by our acceptance of them.” Dympna of Gheel
“The Modern world is full of the old Christian virtues gone
mad. The virtues have gone mad
because they have been isolated from each other and are wandering alone. Thus some scientists care for truth; but
their truth is pitiless. And thus
some humanitarians care only for pity; but their pity--I am sorry to say--is
often untruthful.” G. K. Chesterton
