Tuesday, August 29, 2017 1st Reading: 1 Thess 2:1-8 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)
King Herod and John the Baptist share some similarities. Because Herod had given his word to give the girl anything she’d ask, he decided to blindly honor her request to have John the Baptist beheaded. But while it was his own word that Herod honored, John the Baptist honored the Word-made-flesh with his life.
Herod was ready to have blood shed for his word. John the Baptist too was just as ready. The difference is that Herod had someone else’s blood poured out for his word, while John the Baptist shed his own blood for the Word-made-flesh.
This brought Herod eternal qualm of conscience. But it brought John the Baptist fulfillment. It even realized his motto, “He must increase while I must decrease (John 3:30)”. Indeed, he decreased in height literally, because by losing his head, he lost a few inches of his borrowed body. But he regained it glorified on the Day of Judgment. –(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM
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