Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs

My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.

We are all God’s children and He wants the best for us. He wants us to live good lives and to grow in faith, hope, and love. He wants us to become the best versions of ourselves and choose right over wrong. He gives us every grace to succeed as His children. And if we do fail, He is there to pick us up again, dust us off, and bandage our wounds. He may be disappointed in us, but He will never abandon us. Instead, He will treat us with mercy and compassion and continue to teach us what is good and evil, hoping that we will not repeat our mistakes or fall again. And if we do? He is there again, willing to forgive and forget, if we will but admit our sins, do penance, and try to amend our lives.

Do we act like children of God? Are our lives reflective of our Heavenly Father’s Divine Love and Mercy? How can we amend our lives and become worthy heirs to God’s Kingdom?

O Lord, grant us the grace to choose goodness over sin.

Amen.