SATURDAY, TWENTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Martyrdom of St John the Baptist
Jer 1: 17-19 Ps: 71: 1-6, 15, 17 Mk 6: 17-29
INTEGRITY OVER IMAGE
Today the Church celebrates the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. He is the last prophet of the Old Testament and the first witness of the New Testament. He prepared the way for the Messiah. He even received praise from Jesus. John was courageous, yet lived a simple life in the desert and called people to repentance. He was not afraid to speak the truth, even when it was difficult. Because of his faithfulness to God, he suffered greatly and finally offered his life to the truth.
The Gospel tells us that John was imprisoned because he openly told King Herod that it was wrong for him to marry Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. John knew that speaking the truth could bring trouble, but he remained faithful to God. He cared more about doing what was right than protecting himself.
Herod, on the other hand, was weak. He respected John and did not really want to kill him. But, due to a careless promise made to Salome, Herod felt trapped. He was worried more about what his guests would think, than about the moral rightfulness of his action. To save Herod’s reputation, John had to die. This Gospel teaches us an important lesson. We should always keep our promises, but if a promise is sinful or unjust, it should not be made in the first place. No promise can be greater than God’s law and the dignity of human life. Herod’s mistake was that he cared more about his image before others than about the values of justice and truth. The story also warns us against taking advantage of other people’s weaknesses. Herodias used Herod’s weakness to achieve her own selfish goal. Such selfish attitudes continue to harm families, communities, and society today. Whenever we use others for our own benefit, we move away from God’s way of love. Like St. John, we must have the courage to stand for what is right, even when it costs us something. Today, let us ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in truth and goodness.
Response: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen as his heritage.
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