As a conscientious physician, it has always been my policy to do a thorough diagnosis before prescribing the remedy. So let's look at the symptoms. On the outside, it would seem that everyone conveys the feeling of happiness and joy at Christmas and, if they are for the reasons of Christmas - to celebrate the BIRTH of LIFE Itself in the Word made flesh, then truly they should feel great joy and peace for the birth of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, changed the world forever.

    Yet three days after Christmas we celebrate another Feast that is really only acknowledged by the Church and those daily communicants who understand and uphold the Sanctity of Life. It is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, the martyred children who were slain by Herod in his selfish fear of wiping out the Christ Child. Just as Christ was hunted down and forced to flee with Mary and Joseph to Egypt, so today over 40 million innocents have been "hunted down" and slaughtered in the womb. This doesn't even take into consideration those billions who never even made it to fertilization because of contraception. All because, in their own selfish interests, they decided there was "no room in the inn" for a child.

    No matter how much tinsel and garland, no matter how many presents are wrapped, we cannot put on a facade and pretend that 40 million babies not only never had the chance to celebrate Christmas, they never had the possibility of even being born. Yet God created them, but man destroyed them. What a pity that we don't know what the history might have been of those 40 million babies, who were killed at the whim of their mothers since 1973 when death warrants for one's child were made legal.

    One-third of all babies are killed and the saddest part of all, is that Catholics lead all major denominations in these killings. Are you shocked? You should be. Catholics also lead in electing officials, who are pro-abortion.The Catholic clergy, who are getting more liberal every day, WILL have some kind of explaining to do, when they’re ready to meet their Maker. 50% of Catholics voted for Al Gore, who not only is pro-abortion, but as president would, as Clinton did, veto the ban on partial-birth murders. Until George W. Bush puts his hand on the bible and is sworn in, Gore won't go away. I can only pray Gore will go away and never be president. It has nothing to do with politics. It's just that I keep picturing these babies being killed while they're being born and suffering excruciating pain.

    Truly the patient is in dire shape. But that is not the kind of Christmas message anyone wants to hear. And it is this denial that makes Christmas so artificial in today's society. They fail to realize the REAL Reason for the Season. They fail to understand why it is CHRISTmas! The birth of Jesus Christ changed the world forever. Yet, in these modern times, man has tried to change the world forever through subtraction of human life. It is sad, that we'll never know, what might have been, had our country honored God's will that “Thou Shalt Not Kill.” This is the same God Who sent His only Son to die on the cross for our sins.

    How many future great leaders and statesmen have we lost -- how many Jonas Salks, or Thomas Edisons, or Babe Ruths, or how many Irving Berlins, and above all -- how many Saints and people of good will, who could have changed the course of our country?

    We'll never know if the person, who had been sent by God, with the knowledge for the cure of cancer and other dreaded diseases, has not already been killed by his mother -- maybe 23 years ago, or maybe today. How prophetic -- “Man Reaps What He Sows.” I, for one, am tired of hearing “Why does God let this or that happen?” Each of us have the answer to that. Turn inward, apply the Beatitudes, practice the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy and you'll discover the true meaning of Christmas, the true meaning of life!

    At this time of the year, as well as each and everyday of the year, we must continue to remember the less fortunate. And the most less fortunate of all are these babies who never had a chance. They were just in the way. How this came to be is mind-boggling. Society has created Herods in all who promote or condone the horrible holocaust of the womb. It's hard to be joyful this time of the year when our soul is restless because innocent souls are denied life.

    2000 years ago the Messiah was born in order for all human life to be saved. Yet I feel a sense of guilt. Why didn't I, why didn't the Church, why didn't our government, why didn't civilization see the warning signs and stop the cancer when it first started? I try to think back to that time but it pains me too much. When I do look back, I try to think of good memories and I have plenty. Christmas is a time of nostalgia to me and not long ago, I was sitting in my favorite chair and looking out the window, reflecting on my life and society in general. I was watching the wind-blown trees, when all of my thoughts drifted back to the days of old; back to the days, when the streams were clear and the air, you could breathe, without any fear.

    I remembered back to the days, when my wife and I first met. They are the days I’ll never forget and when we were wed, it was forever, we said -- back to the days of old. What nice memories they were, back to those days when we raised our family, Frankie, and David and Laura Lee; back to the days when you could sit with your family and watch TV and not be embarrassed by what you’d see; back to the days when children could pray in school, and sex out of wedlock, was not considered cool.

    Then I thought back to the days, when even the liberalist of Democrats didn't ridicule people, when most people had faith in God and didn't say the Ten Commandments were as outdated as the lightening rod. How could I forget the days when morality prevailed and to kill an unborn baby, you would be jailed? Back in those days people took responsibility for their actions and, if they veered from the moral path, society was quick to remind them. Oh, for the good ol' days!

    But those days are gone and we can do nothing about the past. However, the greatest present we can present to the Christ Child this Christmas is to recommit to uphold the Sanctity of Life through our prayers, example and actions that one day our nation and her morals will return to those good ol' days and, once again, be in harmony with God's Will for His people.

    If we don't wrap this as our gift to Jesus, then the time will come when we will all be judged and God WILL say, on behalf of His precious children who never had a chance to live and play: "You chose satan over me -- you were pro-choice to KILL, so now, as to Heaven -- your chances are NIL. Depart from Me!"

    That kind of reality should temper the false and hypocritical feelings of Christmas wishes extended by so many who really don't mean it. How can they celebrate the Birth of Christ when, through condoning, voting for, or exhibiting an amoral "let bygones be bygones" attittude, they practice the culture of death?

    For the life of me I can't understand it and I have a feeling neither can God. To those who seek temporal peace and good will to men, I ask you to fall on your knees and seek true Peace in Christ. He's the ONLY WAY!

    Therefore, my Christmas prescription for all is to take Three Persons in One God, add a willing, immaculate tabernacle in the Blessed Virgin Mary to carry the Second Person in her womb for nine months and then call on the angels in the morning to shout "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men of good will" (Luke 2: 14).