Monday, August 29, 2016
Beheading
of John the Baptist
1st Reading: 1 Cor 2: 1-5
Gospel: Mark 6:17-29
For this is what had happened. Herod had ordered John to be arrested and had him bound and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod had married her and John had told him, “It is not right for you to live with your brother’s wife.” So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not be cause Herod respected John. He knew John to be an upright and holy man and kept him safe. And he liked listening to him, although he became very disturbed whenever he heard him.
Herodias had her chance on Herod’s birthday, when he gave a dinner for all the senior government officials, military chiefs and the leaders of Gali lee. On that occasion the daughter of Herodias came in and danced; and she delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you.” And he went so far as to say with many oaths, “I will give you anything you ask, even half my king dom.” She went out to consult her mother, “What shall I ask for?” The mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl hurried to the king and made her request: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist, here and now, on a dish.”
The king was very displeased, but he would not refuse in front of his guests because of his oaths. So he sent one of the bodyguards with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded John in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl. And the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and buried it.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Both Herod and John wanted to be true to their words. Herod had given word to a dancer that he would reward her with anything. When the dancer asked for the head of John, he bitterly regretted having made that thoughtless promise. But he felt he had to be true to the words he had issued at the hearing of important dignitaries. Was the issue important to the dignitaries, in the first place?
While Herod was true to the words he gave to a dancer, John was true to the words he gave to the Word. “He must increase while I must decrease”, John had declared. He literally decreased in height by losing his head.
Herod and John were also willing to have some blood shed just to keep their words. But while Herod was ready to shed some other person’s blood, John the Baptist shed his own.
These brought Herod eternal qualm of conscience but spiritual fulfillment to John the Baptist. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM, MMExM, MAPM, REB. Email:dan.delosangeles@gmail.com.
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