Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
February 3, 2023
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.
Several years ago, there was a viral video called “First Follower: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy.” The setting was simple—some people are enjoying a summer day on a hill in a park when one person stands up and begins to dance.
Unsurprisingly, his dancing results in some pointing, staring, and laughing. But after some time, one person gets up and joins him. A little more time goes by, and a couple more join; after a few minutes, almost everyone is dancing.
One theme dissected again and again is the importance of that first follower for sparking the rest of the movement. While the first dancer would be considered the leader, the first follower is another kind of leader, showing everyone else how to follow.
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee was founded in 2015 and reached a significant milestone in the spring semester of 2019. Our founding class was finishing their senior year and getting ready to graduate high school. Four years prior, these 94 students chose to embrace a school that didn’t exist yet.
Instead, these 94 students had to trust. They had to be the first followers and became leaders by showing other prospective students how to follow.
Today’s story recalls the end of St. John the Baptist’s earthly life. His life was defined by faith and trust. He knew of the promise of Jesus but wasn’t given a template for what it looked like to be a follower. In prison, I can imagine he wondered, “Did I do the right thing?” “Will this even make a difference?” Questions we may often find ourselves asking in our own lives.
But in making his sacrifice, a sacrifice he made even before Jesus went to his cross, he showed the disciples and us how to follow. Today let us honor St. John the Baptist by looking for ways to be the first follower and give others the gift of going second.
Prayer
Lord, you suffered the news of the death of your herald and companion John the Baptist. Yet you also discerned in his death the power of his faith, for he was willing to give everything for his belief in God. Be close to us and those we love in all our trials. Help us to rely on the power of our faith in you, that our witness in times of trial may be a light for others. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Many Catholics are familiar with St. Blaise because he is associated with a special blessing of the throats that is given on this day.
Blaise was born to a wealthy family of noble heritage in present-day Armenia in the fourth century. He received a good education—some accounts tell us that he was a physician before he was named a bishop.
During a persecution of Christians, Blaise escaped arrest by living in a cave. There are many stories about him interacting with wild animals during his hiding. People sought him out there to ask for his intercession because he was known for curing the sick.
One woman came to him with her little boy, who was close to dying because he had a fishbone stuck in his throat. Blaise healed the boy; this event and others like it has made him the patron saint of those with throat trouble.
He was eventually discovered and brought to authorities. While he was being transported to prison, the arresting party came across a poor woman in distress. The woman depended upon her pig for her livelihood, but a wolf had carried the pig away. At the command of St. Blaise, the wolf returned it unharmed.
While he was imprisoned, Blaise was beaten and starved. The woman whose pig he saved brought him food, and she also brought him candles so that he would not have to sit in the dark of his dungeon. Eventually, Blaise was tortured and beheaded.
The story of the throat miracle and the candles in the dungeon are the origins of the special blessing of the throats that is given today with candles. Traditionally, the candles are blessed on Feb. 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas.
Priests hold these candles in the shape of an “X” and place them over the head or under the chin, and extend this prayer: “Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
The Church prays in a special way today for all of those who are sick as well as those who care for them. St. Blaise’s relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and his image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.
St. Blaise, who saved a boy from choking to death and intercedes for those facing illness—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Blaise is in the public domain. Modified from the original. Last accessed January 23, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
