The Slaughter of Innocents

The appalling slaughter of the innocent baby boys of Bethlehem by by King Herod's soldiers sends chills up our spines as we hear the story again today. (Mt 2:13-18)  Yet reflecting on it, we come to realize that children throughout the centuries have been abused, neglected, left to starve to death, tortured, gas chambered, or hacked to death, as we saw in the major genocides of the 20th century. Children of great beauty and potential as adults are the victims of rampant evil, for they have no way to defend themselves and too often, no one to defend them. Does it always have to be this way? How can I prevent some of this in "my world"?  I can begin with myself and my tendencies with tongue and temper to "slaughter", in a sense, my neighbor, the homeless, those who do not agree with me, or those whom I label as "weak" or  just "different."  Unfortunately, we all have this tendency to be slaughters, but fortunately, healers and helpers as well.  May the Holy Innocents help us to choose the latter.
Bro. Rene