In the days after Christmas, while most people are recovering from the indulgence of Christmas Day or deeply immersed in the liturgy of the Boxing Day Test, the Church calendar commemorates the Holy Innocents, the children killed by Herod in a bid to maintain his grip on power. This is a part of the Christmas story which gets little attention in churches, yet it forms a major part of the biblical birth narrative. It is a day w...hen we remember children and other innocent people killed by today’s Herods, who consider such innocents to be acceptable collateral damage in their quest for power and security. Children are still the most deeply affected by wars around the globe – 60% of Afghans are under the age of 21. 90% of those killed in wars now are civilians.
Join us for a peace procession from Victoria Barracks in Melbourne to Defence Plaza. We will begin at 1pm with prayers at Victoria Barracks on St Kilda Road, and process to Defence Plaza, 661 Bourke St. Melbourne, for further prayer and reflection.
So make some space in your post-Christmas calendar to remember the victims of global warmaking, and to encourage one another to acts of resistance. Please pass this on to anyone who might be interested.