Today's first reading tells of Jesus' message that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.  I spent a lot of time reflecting on this passage as I read the gospel of the day.  Jesus' words prove valuable as I think of the terror Joseph must have felt when he received a message from an angel to flee to Egypt with Mary and her newborn son.  We go from the anticipation of the Advent season to the extreme joy of Christmas day to fear, chaos and extreme violence.  Matthew describes Herod's anger and his subsequent order to massacre all of the little boys two years and under in Bethlehem and the surrounding area. 

Gratefully for all of us, Joseph had great faith, and Jesus was spared. 

Today's gospel leads me to think of all of the young children affected by violence across the globe. I think of the unborn, the medically fragile, the mentally ill, and those who live in an environment of violence through no fault of their own—particularly the children of Aleppo.

The prophet Jeremiah's words are powerful:

A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.

Let us fervently pray for peace around the world as we enter 2017.