When the King of Egypt embarked upon his evil machinations to kill all the male infants of the Israelites, a child was born in the House of Levi. When the Levite woman, who bore the baby, saw that he was a fine boy, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him (Exo 2:1-10). Then the daughter of the Pharaoh comes down to bathe at the river. She sees the baby and feels compassionate towards it and decides to take care of it. We see here the attempt of a mother to protect her offspring from the claws of death. When Hagar was cast out of Abrahams house along with her son Ishmael, she wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, Do not let me look on the death of the child. And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of the Lord called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him. Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink. God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow (Gen 21:15-20). Today because of selfish and financial considerations, there are many couples who decide not to have babies. There are also women who mercilessly abort their babies in the womb. What these people forget is the providence of God. Wont the pathetic cries of the aborted children reach the ears of God? Wont God respond to their cries? To Cain, who remorselessly destroyed the life of his brother, God asked, Where is your brother Abel? (Gen 4:19). Many countries that used to promote birth control and foeticides are now eagerly welcoming babies. But in India foeticides and such vices against life are being encouraged. The evil effects of these vices are borne especially by the Christians. The Christian population is drastically getting reduced. Married couples should be willing to accept the gift of God. The life of Mother Mary is a fine model for us. Mary never felt the baby in her womb to be a burden or a shame. She gave birth to her child in a manger without anybody to attend to her. When infants were massacred by the bloodthirsty Herod, she ran away to Egypt to save her infant. The mothers who lost their children mourned and wailed. A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentations, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled because they are no more (Mt 2:18). But today some mothers feel happy when they brutally murder their children in their wombs. Herod is the symbol of authority. In many countries today the authorities in power have made foeticides legal-The law which takes away certain concessions given to the parents with many children. The widow of Nain had intense sorrow because of the death of her only son (Lk 7:12). Let us pray that the tragedy that befell the widow of Nain does not grip the Christian families here. God said to Abraham that he would make him a great nation and he would be the father to generations innumerable. When a child is born, a new generation blooms, on this earth. During this Yuletide, let each family take decisions conducive to the nourishment and growth of life. Let the message of life that comes out from the stable in Bethlehem be the clarion call for this momentously beneficial change. Fr Robert Chavarananickal, V.C.