Saturday,
August 02, 2014
17th Week in Ordinary Time
St. Eusebius
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 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)
The fact that Herodias was disturbed by John the Baptist’s preaching means that she knew she was living an immoral life. But instead of allowing the message to redeem her, she sought to silence him forever. Did she expect her conscience to keep quiet as well upon the death of the preacher? If she did, that was too foolish of her. We know that conscience hardly dies with the extermination of the voice of truth.
Herodias’ folly was the ugly work of grudge she had been nurturing in her heart. Grudge acts like a ticking bomb that can explode anytime regardless of what reason dictates. It is tremendous energy in a person that drives him in search for opportunities to destroy the enemy. When Herodias found the chance to take revenge, she had it carried out without the slightest respect for her live-in partner, the King, who was celebrating his birthday that day. Even while the party was going on she ordered her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptizer.
The daughter could have asked for half of Herod’s kingdom. That was the most reasonable thing to do. But grudge is never subservient to reason. The king had no choice but order the beheading of John the Baptist. When he died, did Herodias’ conscience keep quiet? – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email:dan.delosangeles@gmail.com. Website:www.frdan.org.
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