WASHINGTON, DC (CATHOLIC ONLINE) In the Octave of Christmas, just after celebrating life we remember death. On this, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, we remember the young boys aged two and under who were slaughtered at the order of Herod the Great to make sure a rival ruler would not live.

The magi, who traveled from the East to seek the newborn King of the Jews, told Herod about their mission. From this point on Herod would do anything in his power to make sure he maintained his place of authority.

He stopped at nothing, including the extinction of every male child that was two years of age or younger in Bethlehem and the surrounding region to assure no other king could arise. Prophecy or no prophecy, he was not going to let even God spoil his reign.

In recounting the event, Matthew chooses an interesting prophetic passage from Jeremiah to underscore its horror. "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."

The Old Testament prophet had described the lament of Rachel, Jacob's youngest wife, when the Assyrians took the Jews -who were offspring of her child Joseph - away into captivity. Here the lament continues for her others, this time for the children who were slain by Herod's men near her burial place.

When you think about the slaughter of these innocent children and the continuing slaughter of the unborn through the horrors of abortion, it becomes clear that they come from the same supreme act of selfishness. Even though Herod heard the message coming from the prophets of his own people, he had no desire to align his heart with the purposes of God.

Knowing the Messiah would be coming forth, he chose to attempt a counter-attack for the purposes of God. How futile, yet still he tried and innocent lives were lost in the process.

During this horror can you imagine the weeping and wailing of the mothers in Bethlehem? The soldiers came through and strategically combed the town as well as the surrounding region, killing every boy that met the criteria? It was truly a horror and all the while Herod wrung his hands in anticipation of the report that his word had been carried out.

For those of us who have fought the good fight in the pro-life trenches against the culture of death, this feast day and the souls of these innocent children have always meant a great deal. As martyrs, they remind us that, in our fallen world, there are many who will stop at nothing to maintain the status quo, even it if means the death of a child.

St. Matthew does not tell us how many children died for Christ, but whatever the number, they are considered the first martyrs for our Lord.

Recently, another massacre of innocents took place in Connecticut. The nation and our leaders were highly outraged, as well they should have been. For some selfish and sick reason, Adam Lanza, killed twenty children and six adults before taking his own life. We should be upset!

In fact, according to a story by the Associated Press, 561 children have been murdered between 2006 and 2010. But that number does not include another group of children who will not grow to adulthood - the unborn who were killed through abortion. We are approaching 56 million children, since 1973.

At the vigil for the Sandy Hook shooting victims, President Obama stated, "We can't tolerate this anymore. These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change. We will be told that the causes of such violence are complex, and that is true. No single law -- no set of laws can eliminate evil from the world, or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society.

"But that can't be an excuse for inaction..."

I couldn't agree more. Now, however, it is time for Catholics and other Christians to join together and form voice reminding our leaders that this same impetus should be focused on the victims of abortion as well. I want our leaders to shed a tear for the unborn as well.

So, why the duplicity? Why is there a holocaust of babies that goes on within a society that decries the shooting of other children? Widespread selfishness. These children would have been rivals for the attention mothers and fathers wanted to give to other interests and desires. Such challenges cannot be tolerated and so the child must go.

In Matthew's account, "Herod and all Jerusalem" were upset with the report of the Magi. By "all Jerusalem." the apostle was including the religious leaders of the city. They were willing to cooperate with Herod as they also would find their lives powerfully impacted should the Messiah actually come to power.

What a parallel today, as so many of our leaders have joined the genocide bandwagon to maintain the affections of the voting populace from the culture of death.

How different are the words of the Apostle Paul to the Church in Philippi. "Do ...