Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 29, 2024
Herod was the one who had John the Baptist 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.
She 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.
Herodias’ 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?”
She 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.
Today, we celebrate a rather strange memorial, the Passion of St. John the Baptist, which used to be more graphically called “The Feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist.” The story is truly quite graphic, and in some fundamental way, it is a deep dive into the dark side of human nature. It has a little bit of everything: pride, arrogance, manipulation, vengeance, cowardice, fear, and even a little bit of debauchery.
One almost feels sorry for poor Herod, who puts himself in the unenviable position of making extravagant and arrogant promises that he will most definitely regret and then having to follow through on them because of his cowardice. The Bible tells us that he both feared and admired John and “he felt the attraction of his words”(Mk 6:20).
Unfortunately, his manipulative wife, Herodias, was fervently seeking revenge for what John had told Herod and was quite ready to jump at any opportunity to get rid of this annoying and influential prophet. Her daughter’s provocative dance opened the door for Herodias to fulfill her desire, and sadly, Herod didn’t have the courage to stand up and do the right thing.
We can all relate to this dynamic in some significant ways, can’t we? When have I been both afraid and impressed with someone in my life? When have I felt so angry and hurt that I would like to see someone else suffer? There is a word in German — schadenfreude, “to delight in the misfortune of another” — which describes this phenomenon present not only in Herodias but in all of us, and the call here is to recognize this human tendency and root it out of our lives.
Sadly, this gospel story reflects much too easily the dynamics of our world today. The challenge for us all is to be counter-cultural, to stand up against the tendencies of competition, greed, and “winning at all costs” that seem to dominate our lives.
What if we tried a different approach today?
Prayer
Lord, the beheading of John the Baptist reflects how fear and truth-telling can lead to death and violence. May we have the courage to stand in your truth and speak life, love, and compassion. From the moment of conception until our last breath life as your gift stands true. Touch those today with anger, revenge, or hatred for another person or a group. Let Love and Life win over fear, violence, and death. Open our eyes, ears, and hearts to see your Son and our Brother Jesus in all now and forever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Besides Jesus and Mary, only one other person has a birthday and death-date marked by the Church: John the Baptist. The feast of his birth falls on June 24, but today we celebrate the feast of his death.
The Gospel today recounts how king Herod had John imprisoned because John told Herod he should not have married his brother’s wife. This enraged the king’s wife, and she wanted John killed, but Herod kept him in prison because he liked to hear John speak, even though he found what John said “perplexing.”
On his birthday, a dancer entertained Herod and the court. She danced so beautifully that Herod granted her one wish. His wife influenced her to ask for John’s head. Herod was distressed, but granted the wish and John the Baptist was killed.
John gave his life to the truth, so it is not surprising that he was killed for speaking it. His mission was to conform his life to truth so that when Christ came along, he might recognize and clearly proclaim him. May God give us courage to give our lives to truth as well.
Several relics of John the Baptist rest in the reliquary in the Basilica, and his beheading is depicted in a stained glass window there.
The Raclin Murphy Museum of Art on campus contains an etching from Rembrandt depicting the beheading of John the Baptist; see that image here.
St. John the Baptist, you gave your life for truth--pray for us!