Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
TWO GREAT PERSONS
Introduction
The letter to the Hebrews gives today to the Christian community a set of moral exhortations. Perseverance in the faith means especially perseverance in love, the basis of all morality.
With the death of the Baptist ends the life of the last prophet of God of the Old Testament, who, as the hinge between the Old and the New Testaments, had prepared the way for the Lord’s coming. He died as a suffering servant of God, a new Elijah, who stood up to kings and infamous queens.
Reading 1 Heb 13:1-8
Stay on good terms with each other, held together by love. Be ready with a meal or a bed when it’s needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it! Regard prisoners as if you were in prison with them. Look on victims of abuse as if what happened to them had happened to you. Honor marriage, and guard the sacredness of sexual intimacy between wife and husband. God draws a firm line against casual and illicit sex. Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote,
God is there, ready to help;
I’m fearless no matter what.
Who or what can get to me?
Appreciate your pastoral leaders who gave you the Word of God. Take a good look at the way they live, and let their faithfulness instruct you, as well as their truthfulness. There should be a consistency that runs through us all. For Jesus doesn’t change—yesterday, today, tomorrow, he’s always totally himself.
Gospel Mk 6:14-29
King Herod heard of all this, for by this time the name of Jesus was on everyone’s lips. He said, “This has to be John the Baptizer come back from the dead—that’s why he’s able to work miracles!” Others said, “No, it’s Elijah.” Others said, “He’s a prophet, just like one of the old-time prophets.” But Herod wouldn’t budge: “It’s John, sure enough. I cut off his head, and now he’s back, alive.” Herod was the one who had ordered the arrest of John, put him in chains, and sent him to prison at the nagging of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John had provoked Herod by naming his relationship with Herodias “adultery.” Herodias, smoldering with hate, wanted to kill him, but didn’t dare because Herod was in awe of John. Convinced that he was a holy man, he gave him special treatment. Whenever he listened to him he was miserable with guilt—and yet he couldn’t stay away. Something in John kept pulling him back. But a portentous day arrived when Herod threw a birthday party, inviting all the brass and bluebloods in Galilee. Herodias’s daughter entered the banquet hall and danced for the guests. She charmed Herod and the guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me anything. I’ll give you anything you want.” Carried away, he kept on, “I swear, I’ll split my kingdom with you if you say so!” She went back to her mother and said, “What should I ask for?” “Ask for the head of John the Baptizer.” Excited, she ran back to the king and said, “I want the head of John the Baptizer served up on a platter. And I want it now!” That sobered the king up fast. But unwilling to lose face with his guests, he caved in and let her have her wish. The king sent the executioner off to the prison with orders to bring back John’s head. He went, cut off John’s head, brought it back on a platter, and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and got the body and gave it a decent burial.
Prayer
Lord, our God,
John the Baptist spoke without fear
to the high and the mighty,
that they too, were bound by God’s laws.
He risked his life for what is right and good.
Let him inspire us too
to let your word become flesh and blood in us
by taking the risks of our faith
and living as we believe.
Let this be the way in which we prepare
the fuller coming among us
of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Reflection:
3 February 2023
Mark 6:14-29
The tongue can tie you in knots
Today’s Gospel presents four major characters. There is John the Baptist on one side and King Herod, his brother’s wife Herodias and her daughter.
St. James’ letter describes the tongue as fire (Jas 3:6). It can burn and destroy lives. The words we utter can either build up or imprison us and others, depending on how and what we speak. John the Baptist used his tongue to tell the truth and challenge the king. But the truth is that the ‘truth’ is seldom appreciated and often strangled.
About Herod, the Gospel says, “The king regretted his promise.” One translation of the Bible says he was “tied in a knot” – a very graphic description. Tongue, if not controlled and mastered, can tie us in knots.
Pope Francis explains the Gospel and says, “Herodias hated John because he spoke words she did not like to hear. Hatred is Satan’s breath”, says the pope, “capable of doing everything except loving. The devil’s ‘love’ is hatred, and Herodias had the satanic spirit of hatred that destroys. The daughter of Herodias was a talented dancer. But her talents are used to seduce and kill. Her mother nurtured her with hatred and the spirit of the devil. She had no hesitation in asking for a person’s head as a gift! How heartless the child of a woman with hatred has become. Parents who hate family members or people in the neighbourhood give their children a bad example and education.
Times haven’t really changed much, as we hear and read about the beheadings that still happen around us. Herods and Herodias are still alive in our world. Many are beheaded for speaking the truth and professing their faith as Christians. Today the Church commemorates the memorial of 184 Blessed Claretian martyrs who were killed during the Spanish Civil War between 1936-’39 just because they wore the cassock. They were offered to let go if they were to give up their cassocks and go home, which they refused and opted to die rather than give up their faith.
John the Baptist ended up alone, in a dark prison cell, as the victim of a vain dancer, a victim of the hatred of a diabolical woman and a victim of an undecided king. John’s beheading took place long ago and far away. But many more killings happen today – around us and not far away. What Can we do to stop the massacre today?
Our words can kill people. Be sure of your words – what we speak and post on social media platforms. Posts on media platforms today are more damaging than spoken words. Let our words be those that generate life, love and forgiveness!