"If we say, ‘we are without sin,’ we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1 Jn 1:8)
"When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years and under…" (Mt 2:16)
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Instead of referring to the sins of the world, we sometimes even liturgically talk about the sin of the world. This is a kind of cumulative sin … and it keeps getting worse all the time. It is very akin to our atmosphere which is becoming more and more polluted with gases and exhaust fumes and aerosols. We live in an atmosphere of sin just as we live in today’s atmosphere of pollution by noise and air and water and soil… (Frank Mihalic) [1]
We honor the Holy Innocents today who died during the time of the birth of the Messiah. Somehow these babies sacrificed their lives in order that the Infant Child could continue to live to redeem the world.
When we think about the event, we are filled with dismay at the atrocity committed by Herod against these innocents of Bethlehem. Yet, how exactly do we feel toward the ongoing holocaust of abortion all over the world? There very likely were less than fifty children massacred at the order of Herod, while millions of unborn babies in the womb of their mothers are being killed over the world every day.
As the above commentary tells us we live in an atmosphere of all kinds of pollution that are destroying our physical environment. In the same manner sin is all around us. We do not seem to get so affected by it anymore. In fact, we have become inured to the propaganda, deception and the lies to which we are continually being exposed.
It seems that perhaps a majority of this world’s inhabitants have come to believe that killing is not an evil, and/or that abortion is not murder; therefore there is nothing morally wrong with that procedure. Thus, some so-called Catholic countries have legalized the practice of abortion within their boundaries.
Our first Reading tells us that if we say we have fellowship with God, "while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth." (1 Jn 1:6) Furthermore, today’s Scriptural snippet reminds us, "If we say we are without sin" or that there is nothing immoral with these transgressions that we see everyday, then we deceive ourselves.
Delusion itself is world-wide in that people of today try to justify the abominations of abortion, genocide, terrorism, unjustified violence in war and all the other atrocities being committed in the world. Hence, millions of modern-day Christians are not acting in the truth of Christ.
All kinds of sins, in addition to those already mentioned, fly in the face of the Lord – illegal drug manufacturing, sale and use, pornography, fornication, adultery, homosexual-genital conduct and many more – and huge portions of humanity are being conned into thinking that there is nothing evil about any these activities.
Let us strive to safeguard ourselves from this sinful spiritual pollution by having recourse to Jesus Christ, for as St. John has written, "He is expiation for our sins and not for our sins only, but for those of the whole world." (1 Jn 2:2) Let us pray to Our Lord and Savior for the grace to avoid any kind of deliberate sin altogether.
We honor the Holy Innocents today who died during the time of the birth of the Messiah. Somehow these babies sacrificed their lives in order that the Infant Child could continue to live to redeem the world.
When we think about the event, we are filled with dismay at the atrocity committed by Herod against these innocents of Bethlehem. Yet, how exactly do we feel toward the ongoing holocaust of abortion all over the world? There very likely were less than fifty children massacred at the order of Herod, while millions of unborn babies in the womb of their mothers are being killed over the world every day.
As the above commentary tells us we live in an atmosphere of all kinds of pollution that are destroying our physical environment. In the same manner sin is all around us. We do not seem to get so affected by it anymore. In fact, we have become inured to the propaganda, deception and the lies to which we are continually being exposed.
It seems that perhaps a majority of this world’s inhabitants have come to believe that killing is not an evil, and/or that abortion is not murder; therefore there is nothing morally wrong with that procedure. Thus, some so-called Catholic countries have legalized the practice of abortion within their boundaries.
Our first Reading tells us that if we say we have fellowship with God, "while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth." (1 Jn 1:6) Furthermore, today’s Scriptural snippet reminds us, "If we say we are without sin" or that there is nothing immoral with these transgressions that we see everyday, then we deceive ourselves.
Delusion itself is world-wide in that people of today try to justify the abominations of abortion, genocide, terrorism, unjustified violence in war and all the other atrocities being committed in the world. Hence, millions of modern-day Christians are not acting in the truth of Christ.
All kinds of sins, in addition to those already mentioned, fly in the face of the Lord – illegal drug manufacturing, sale and use, pornography, fornication, adultery, homosexual-genital conduct and many more – and huge portions of humanity are being conned into thinking that there is nothing evil about any these activities.
Let us strive to safeguard ourselves from this sinful spiritual pollution by having recourse to Jesus Christ, for as St. John has written, "He is expiation for our sins and not for our sins only, but for those of the whole world." (1 Jn 2:2) Let us pray to Our Lord and Savior for the grace to avoid any kind of deliberate sin altogether.
End Notes for this Bible Sharing
1. "1000 Stories You Can Use" Volume Two, Frank Mihalic, SVD, n. 953, "The Sin of the World" p.188, Divine Word Publications, Manila, 1989.
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