Saturday, July 30, 2016 17th Week in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Jer 26: 11-16. 24 Gospel: Matthew 14:1-12
On one occasion the news about Jesus reached King Herod. And he said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. John has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
Herod had, in fact, ordered that John be arrested, bound in chains and put in prison be cause of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had said to him, “It is not right for you to have her as wife.” Herod wanted to kill him but he did not dare, because he feared the people who regarded John as a prophet.
On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst of the guests; she so delighted Herod that he promised under oath to give her anything she asked. The girl, following the advice of her mother, said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a dish.”
The king was very displeased, but because he had made this promise under oath in the presence of the guests, he ordered it to be given her. So he had John beheaded in prison and his head brought on a dish and given to the girl. The girl then took it to her mother.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life
Experience)
To many people the greener part is always the other side of the fence. So it appeared to Herodias! She already had a man of royal blood for a spouse, for Philip her husband was the brother of King Herod. Philip was himself a king. Yet she thought she would be richer and more powerful being Mrs. Herod. When she finally became one, she had everything except peace. That’s the paradox of sin: it makes us happy yet leaves the greater part of us disturbed.
Herodias’ bothered conscience was a chance for conversion. But grudge blinded her from seeing this golden opportunity. Grudge so consumed her that she launched her vindictive attack at John the Baptist even while her husband was hosting a party for dignitaries. Grudge is no respecter of time. Neither does it respect the truth. Grudge made it appear to Herodias that killing John the Baptist would silence truth. Yet when John the Baptist was beheaded, truth didn’t die; it even soared high. Grudge doesn’t even respect a lie. That material wealth is of greater value than spiritual realities is life’s biggest lie. Grudge distorted this in Herodias’ heart so much so that instead of choosing half of Herod’s kingdom, she chose John’s head. With grudge we are sure losers.
There are many sides of the fence and only one of them may truly be green. This is invisible to the materialistic whose heart is consumed by grudge. –(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM, MMExM, MAPM, REB. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com.
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