Feast of Holy Innocents - Yesterday was the holy day commemorating those who died when Jesus was born because Herod had all the young males in Bethlehem murdered. For pro-life Catholics (the adjective shouldn't be necessary) it's a particularly significant day, along with January 22nd, the Roe v. Wade anniversary. I was moved by a bit of the Church's Liturgy of the Hours readings for the day. It was excerpted from a sermon of St. Quodvultdeus (don't ask me to pronounce that):
“Why are you afraid, Herod, when you hear of the birth of a king? He does not come to drive you out, but to conquer the devil. But because you do not understand this you are disturbed and in a rage, and to destroy one child whom you seek, you show your cruelty in the death of so many children.
You are not restrained by the love of weeping mothers or fathers mourning the deaths of their sons, nor by the cries and sobs of the children. You destroy those who are tiny in body because fear is destroying your heart. You imagine that if you accomplish your desire you can prolong your own life, though you are seeking to kill Life himself.
Yet your throne is threatened by the source of grace, so small, yet so great, who is lying in the manger. He is using you, all unaware of it, to work out his own purposes freeing souls from captivity to the devil. He has taken up the sons of the enemy into the ranks of God’s adopted children.”
The parallels to abortion abound.
Status updates - The weather warmed up just a bit yesterday to 25°F. It was warm enough to do our first sledding of the season. The boys look so cute in their snow outfits! Timothy isn't sure about sledding but the twins love it. The kids have been having fun with their presents. There were a few things that we bought that will be garbage within a few days. It's hard to know with some gifts whether they will work as advertised, whether they'll be durable, etc. It makes me think that sometimes buying online, with the reviews and recommendations sites like Amazon have, could be a money saver in the long run. A second box of Maurice Lenell cookies arrived yesterday. Thanks! Last night I stayed home with the boys so that Michelle could take the girls out to dinner.
Today it will be much warmer, approach 40°F. Hopefully it doesn't melt the sledding snow but clearing the driveway residual snow would be nice. Michelle is substitute instructing for a step class at the YMCA. I suspect now that we're getting away from Christmas day, the girls will spend more time playing with their neighborhood friends.
Refinance - Tomorrow we re-finance the house down to a 15 year loan. I wanted to do this the last time the rates were low but was a bit worried about whether I'd have a job. ARC seemed to be having quarterly layoffs non-voluntary attrition at the time. Things have been a little more stable under TransDimension.