A civilised society is judged by the way it treats the weakest and lowest members.
In other words, a civilised society is only as strong as its weakest link, and only as intelligent as its most ignorant.
And if a civilised society not only does not protect its weakest and lowest members, but even persecutes and harms them, that society is barbaric and so are its leaders.
In the gospel, we heard of that king Herod who was paranoid about the infant king of the Jesus, and he was also furious when he realised that he was outwitted by the wise men.
And then he did the unimaginable, and that was ordering all the male infants who were two years and under to be massacred.
With that kind of atrocity coming from a king, it only goes to show how barbaric he was, and the same could be said for those who carried out his orders.
The feast of the Holy Innocents reiterates the code of a civilised society that the innocent, the weak and lowly are to be respected and protected.
Any violation against them is a violation against the authority of God.
Let us always respect and protect the innocent, the weak and the lowly, for how we treat them reflects our true human values.