Saturday, August 3, 2019 17th Week in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: Lev 25:1, 8-17 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 pris on and his head brought on a dish and given to the girl. The girl then took it to her mother.
Then John’s disciples came to take his body and bury it. And they went to bring the news to Jesus.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life Experience)
Does it look like it is always greener on the other side of the fence? Welcome to the world of Herodias! Her husband, Philip, was already a man of royal blood, Philip being the brother of King Herod. But she must have thought she’d be richer being Mrs. King Herod. She was happy she got this status, yet her conscience squirmed when John the Baptist preached against it. That’s the paradox of sin: it makes us happy yet leaves the greater part of us disturbed.
Herodias’ bothered conscience was a timely signal to do a u-turn. But she drowned the voice of her conscience by allowing her grudge to speak the louder. Thereafter she sought to silence John the Baptist for good. When she had her chance, she struck even while her husband was holding a birthday party. Grudge is no respecter of time.
Grudge is not only a non-respecter of time but also of lies. That material wealth is of greater value than spiritual realities is a big lie. Even this grudge distorts. Grudge made Herodias choose the head of John over half of Herod’s kingdom even though she was materialistic. Materialism blinded her from the impropriety of being mistress to the king; grudge blinded her from the object of her materialistic quest. There are many sides of the fence and only one of them could truly be green. This is invisible to the materialistic whose heart is consumed by grudge. –(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.
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