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.
Opening 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. Amen!
1 Reading HEBREWS 13:1-8
Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels. Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment, and of the ill-treated as of yourselves, for you also are in the body. Let marriage be honored among all and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the immoral and adulterers. Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you. Thus we may say with confidence: The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me? Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Responsorial PSALM 27:1, 3, 5, 8b-9abc
R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid? R.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
even then will I trust. R.
For he will hide me in his abode
in the day of trouble;
He will conceal me in the shelter of his tent,
he will set me high upon a rock. R.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off. R.
Alleluia cf. LUKE 8:15
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart,
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MARK 6:14-29
King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; That is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.” But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.” Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. His own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.” He even swore many things to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” Her mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Commentary
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!
Intentions
– Lord, give us great men and women, even great children, to inspire all of us how to live our faith consistently, we pray:
– Lord, you know how timid we are. Help us to take the Gospel of your Son Jesus, seriously by letting your Spirit give us the insight and courage of prophets, we pray:
– Lord, you see how harsh we often are. Let the gentleness and compassion of good persons give us warm and understanding hearts, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
these are only simple gifts,
a piece of bread and a bit of wine.
Accept them and give us instead
your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through the Spirit and his fire,
change us, timid people
into signs to everyone and all
of your tenderness and mercy,
your justice and your peace,
that we may bring into our world
the life and message of Jesus, our Lord. Amen!
Prayer after Communion
God of our hope and future,
your Spirit of wisdom and strength
was alive in Jesus, your Son.
Pour out the same Spirit on us too,
that we may bear witness today
to your faithfulness and love.
And give us always people inspired by you,
prophets like John the Baptist,
to wake us up when we are self-satisfied
and to inspire us to prepare the way
for the full coming of Jesus Christ,
our Saviour and our Lord. Amen!
Blessing
Like John the Baptist, we can and should show others the road to Christ and prepare the way for his full coming. This will happen only if we ourselves take his Gospel seriously, if the Lord becomes visible in us, his goodness, his compassion, his love. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!