Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs
Lectionary: 327
Lectionary: 327
Let brotherly love
continue.
Do not neglect hospitality,
for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.
Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment,
and of the ill-treated as of yourselves,
for you also are in the body.
Let marriage be honored among all
and the marriage bed be kept undefiled,
for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.
Let your life be free from love of money
but be content with what you have,
for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.
Thus we may say with confidence:
The Lord is my helper,
and I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?
Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you.
Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Do not neglect hospitality,
for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.
Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment,
and of the ill-treated as of yourselves,
for you also are in the body.
Let marriage be honored among all
and the marriage bed be kept undefiled,
for God will judge the immoral and adulterers.
Let your life be free from love of money
but be content with what you have,
for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.
Thus we may say with confidence:
The Lord is my helper,
and I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?
Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you.
Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Responsorial PsalmPS 27:1, 3, 5, 8B-9ABC
R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
even then will I trust.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
For he will hide me in his abode
in the day of trouble;
He will conceal me in the shelter of his tent,
he will set me high upon a rock.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
even then will I trust.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
For he will hide me in his abode
in the day of trouble;
He will conceal me in the shelter of his tent,
he will set me high upon a rock.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
AlleluiaSEE LK 8:15
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart,
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart,
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 6:14-29
King Herod heard
about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread,
and people were saying,
“John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;
That is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
Others were saying, “He is Elijah”;
still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.”
But when Herod learned of it, he said,
“It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”
Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers,
and the leading men of Galilee.
His own daughter came in and performed a dance
that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
“Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.”
He even swore many things to her,
“I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom.”
She went out and said to her mother,
“What shall I ask for?”
Her mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”
The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request,
“I want you to give me at once on a platter
the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner
with orders to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter
and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
and people were saying,
“John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;
That is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
Others were saying, “He is Elijah”;
still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.”
But when Herod learned of it, he said,
“It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”
Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers,
and the leading men of Galilee.
His own daughter came in and performed a dance
that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
“Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.”
He even swore many things to her,
“I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom.”
She went out and said to her mother,
“What shall I ask for?”
Her mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”
The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request,
“I want you to give me at once on a platter
the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner
with orders to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter
and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Meditation: Herod's guilty conscience
Do you ever feel haunted by a past failure or a
guilty conscience? The Lord Jesus came to set us free from the oppression of
sin and guilt. King Herod, the most powerful and wealthy man in Judea, had
everything he wanted, except a clear conscience and peace with God. Herod had
respected and feared John the Baptist as a great prophet and servant of God.
John, however did not fear to rebuke Herod for his adulterous relationship with
his brother's wife, Herodias. John ended up in prison because of Herodias'
hatred and jealousy. Herod, out of impulse and a desire to please his family
and friends, had John beheaded. Now Herod's conscience is pricked when he hears
that some think that the Baptist has risen.
When Herod heard the fame of Jesus he
supposed that John the Baptist, whom he had beheaded, had returned from the
dead. Unfortunately for Herod, he could not rid himself of sin by ridding
himself of the man who confronted him with his sin. Herod was a weak man. He
could take a strong stand on the wrong things when he knew the right. Such a
stand, however, was a sign of weakness and cowardice. The Lord gives grace to
the humble, to those who acknowledge their sins and who seek God's mercy and
pardon. His grace and pardon not only frees us from a guilty conscience, it
enables us to pursue holiness in thought and action as well. God's grace
enables us to fight fear with faith and to overcome the temptation to
compromise goodness and truth with wrongdoing and falsehood.
John Chrysostom describes John's death as a
crown:
In what way, then, was this
just man harmed by this demise, this violent death, these chains, this
imprisonment? Who are those he did not set back on their feet - provided they
had a penitent disposition - because of what he spoke, because of what he
suffered, because of what he still proclaims in our own day - the same message
he preached while he was living. Therefore, do not say: "Why was John
allowed to die?" For what occurred was not a death, but a crown, not an
end, but the beginning of a greater life. Learn to think and live like a
Christian. You will not only remain unharmed by these events, but will reap the
greatest benefits.(ON THE
PROVIDENCE OF GOD 22.10)
Do you
rely on God's grace and help to choose his way of holiness and to reject
whatever would compromise your faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ?
"Heavenly Father, form in me the likeness
of your Son that I may imitate him in word and deed. Help me to live the Gospel
faithfully and give me the strength and courage I need to not shrink back in
the face of adversity and temptation."
 Grace’s Last Stand and Ultimate Victory |
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February 6, 2015.
Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs
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Mark 6:14-29 King Herod heard about it, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him." Others were saying, "He is Elijah"; still others, "He is a prophet like any of the prophets." But when Herod learned of it, he said, "It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up." Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother´s wife." Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. Herodias´s own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you." He even swore (many things) to her, "I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom." She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the Baptist." The girl hurried back to the king´s presence and made her request, "I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist." The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you and all that you
taught as it has been passed down to us through your Church. I hope in you,
knowing that you will never send me out of your presence. Only by sin could I
cut myself away from your loving hands. Although I am weak, I trust that you
will keep me close. Lord, I love you and long for my love for you to grow,
for you deserve so much better than my measly offering. Yet I know, too, that
you are pleased with my desire for you.
Petition: Grant me, O Lord, an honest and sincere
heart.
1. “It is John whom I beheaded. He
has been raised up”: The verdict of conscience always makes itself
known. Herod’s guilt regarding John the Baptist’s murder is projected into
the present as a haunting memory. Those who have radically rejected
God, though they might possess great power or wealth, great intelligence or
ability, are ultimately the most insecure people on earth. When true goodness
appears in their life, it presents itself as a threat. It condemns them and
alienates them from themselves. All this is but a reflection of their state
of soul before God. Such is the power of man’s conscience: it imposes its
painful sentence long before the person ever reaches the ultimate tribunal of
justice. Like Christ, we can only remain silent before the Herods of the
world, praying that they break their resistance to grace.
2. “He was very much perplexed yet
he liked to listen to him…”: “Fear the grace of God that passes
never to return.” In the lives of all persons, even the wicked, enough
goodness is given them to be saved, enough such that God can offer them the
truth of salvation within the scope of their freedom. Such graces last for
only a time, not forever. These moments cannot be treated as moments that
temporarily pacify our conscience, only to permit us to continue in our sin
and resistance to living a holy life. Herod feared John, knew he was a holy
man and felt the attraction of his words, but he did nothing to respond to
it. You cannot play around with God and win. Herod loses and attacked what he
knew he should love. This tragedy must teach us to be sincere and never
imprison the voice of God in our soul, but to let it reign in our life. We
must use our freedom to respond to God’s voice, breaking the chains of human
respect or fear of sacrifice that bind us to darkness.
3. He Was Beheaded in Prison: The
last honor Christ could offer a faithful apostle, who has stood firm in the
truth against the twisted provocations of evil around him, is––in some
sense––a “full” participation in his Paschal Mystery. What began as testimony
by proclaiming conversion, John now concludes with testimony to the
victorious hope the blessed possess in Christ. This is never clearer
than in a martyr’s death as intimated in this passage from the Book of
Wisdom:
For though in the sight of men they were
punished,
their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them (Wisdom 3:4-6).
May we accept today the hard road of
fidelity so as to be “disciplined a little” and be found worthy of the hope
that is “full of immortality.”
Conversation with Christ: Let me experience, dear Jesus, the glory of
your martyrs through many small acts of fidelity—to my conscience, to my
mission and to the service to souls. Heroic and filled with hope, may I
accept a sentence of love and not fear any path you set before me today. May
I be like one who has died and yet lives the blossom of a holy life that will
never end.
Resolution: I will work to be sincere in all I do, and
use the sacrament of confession as a place of constant conversion and
openness to God’s will.
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, MARK 6:14-29
(Hebrews 13:1-8; Psalm 27)
(Hebrews 13:1-8; Psalm 27)
KEY VERSE: "I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist" (v 25).
TO KNOW: When King Herod heard reports about Jesus, he believed that he was John the Baptist, whom he beheaded, and now raised from the dead. John had spoken out against Herod's illicit marriage with Herodias, the wife of his half-brother (Lv 18:16,20: 21). Because of this, Herodias wanted to kill John. She found her opportunity during a banquet given in honor of her husband's birthday. When Herodias' daughter danced to the delight of her step-father, Herod offered the young girl anything she wanted. Herodias told her daughter to ask for the head of the Baptist. In giving his life for faithfully announcing the coming of God's kingdom, John's martyrdom prefigured Jesus' own death.
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, give me courage to defend the truth when others oppose me.
TO SERVE: Am I willing to protest injustice when I see it?
Memorial of Paul Miki, priest and martyr, and
his companions, martyrs
Paul Miki was one of the Martyrs of Nagasaki. The son of the military leader Miki Handayu, Paul felt a call to religious life and entered the Jesuits in 1580. A successful evangelist, the political climate became hostile to Christianity, and he was soon arrested. On his way to martyrdom, he and the other imprisoned Christians were marched 600 miles so they could be a lesson to their countrymen. On the way they sang the Te Deum. Paul Miki's last sermon was delivered from the cross
The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ. I thank God it is for this reason that I die. I know you believe me and I want to say to you all once again: Ask Christ to help you become happy. I obey Christ. After Christ's example, I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain.
Friday 6 February 2015
Ss Paul Miki and Cc.
Waitangi Day (NZ).
Day of penance.
Hebrews 13:1-8. The Lord is my light and my salvation—Ps 26(27):1-3, 5, 8-9. Mark 6:14-29.
Day of penance.
Hebrews 13:1-8. The Lord is my light and my salvation—Ps 26(27):1-3, 5, 8-9. Mark 6:14-29.
‘I will not fail or desert
you.’
Lord, that promise from
Deuteronomy, included in the first reading, offers comforts. It is an
invitation to be like you, Lord: a call to holiness. Holiness is not something
we can achieve by ourselves, rather it comes from what we allow God to do. It
has no favourite place or climate. We blossom where we are planted, powered and
nurtured by prayer and reflection.
Holiness has a human face.
It walks the bedroom at night with a sick child. It is in the home with a
family trying to make ends meet. It sits by a hospital bed. It is the kindness
of neighbours during bereavement. It is the struggle to be honest, sinners who
refuse to give up trying. Why? ‘Because with God to try is to succeed’ (Daniel
Considine sj).
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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Listening Is Intimate
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Only sinners have the patience to listen to the stories Jesus
tells. The self-righteous hear them but don’t listen. Hearing happens when the
ears and the brain team up, but listening happens with the ears of the heart.
February
6
St. Paul Miki and Companions
(d. 1597)
St. Paul Miki and Companions
(d. 1597)
Nagasaki, Japan, is familiar to Americans as the city on which the
second atomic bomb was dropped, immediately killing over 37,000 people. Three
and a half centuries before, 26 martyrs of Japan were crucified on a hill, now
known as the Holy Mountain, overlooking Nagasaki. Among them were priests,
brothers and laymen, Franciscans, Jesuits and members of the Secular Franciscan
Order; there were catechists, doctors, simple artisans and servants, old men
and innocent children—all united in a common faith and love for Jesus and his
Church.
Brother
Paul Miki, a Jesuit and a native of Japan, has become the best known among the
martyrs of Japan. While hanging upon a cross, Paul Miki preached to the people
gathered for the execution: “The sentence of judgment says these men came to
Japan from the Philippines, but I did not come from any other country. I am a
true Japanese. The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the
doctrine of Christ. I certainly did teach the doctrine of Christ. I thank God
it is for this reason I die. I believe that I am telling only the truth before
I die. I know you believe me and I want to say to you all once again: Ask
Christ to help you to become happy. I obey Christ. After Christ’s example I
forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and
I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain.”
When
missionaries returned to Japan in the 1860s, at first they found no trace of
Christianity. But after establishing themselves they found that thousands of
Christians lived around Nagasaki and that they had secretly preserved the
faith. Beatified in 1627, the martyrs of Japan were finally canonized in 1862.
Comment:
Today a new era has come for the Church in Japan. Although the number of Catholics is not large, the Church is respected and has total religious freedom. The spread of Christianity in the Far East is slow and difficult. Faith such as that of the 26 martyrs is needed today as much as in 1597.
Today a new era has come for the Church in Japan. Although the number of Catholics is not large, the Church is respected and has total religious freedom. The spread of Christianity in the Far East is slow and difficult. Faith such as that of the 26 martyrs is needed today as much as in 1597.
Quote:
“Since Jesus, the Son of God, showed his love by laying down his life for us, no one has greater love than they who lay down their lives for him and for their sisters and brothers (see 1 John 3:16; John 15:13). Some Christians have been called from the beginning, and will always be called, to give this greatest testimony of love to everyone, especially to persecutors. Martyrdom makes disciples like their master, who willingly accepted death for the salvation of the world, and through it they are made like him by the shedding of blood. Therefore, the Church considers it the highest gift and as the supreme test of love. And while it is given to few, all, however, must be prepared to confess Christ before humanity and to follow him along the way of the cross amid the persecutions which the Church never lacks” (Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 42, Austin Flannery translation).
“Since Jesus, the Son of God, showed his love by laying down his life for us, no one has greater love than they who lay down their lives for him and for their sisters and brothers (see 1 John 3:16; John 15:13). Some Christians have been called from the beginning, and will always be called, to give this greatest testimony of love to everyone, especially to persecutors. Martyrdom makes disciples like their master, who willingly accepted death for the salvation of the world, and through it they are made like him by the shedding of blood. Therefore, the Church considers it the highest gift and as the supreme test of love. And while it is given to few, all, however, must be prepared to confess Christ before humanity and to follow him along the way of the cross amid the persecutions which the Church never lacks” (Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 42, Austin Flannery translation).
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 6,14-29
Lectio:
Friday, February 6, 2015
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
help us to love you with all our hearts
and to love all men as you love them.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Lord our God,
help us to love you with all our hearts
and to love all men as you love them.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Mark 6,14-29
King Herod had heard about him, since by now his name was well known. Some were saying, 'John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.' Others said, 'He is Elijah,' others again, 'He is a prophet, like the prophets we used to have.' But when Herod heard this he said, 'It is John whose head I cut off; he has risen from the dead.'
Now it was this same Herod who had sent to have John arrested, and had had him chained up in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife whom he had married. For John had told Herod, 'It is against the law for you to have your brother's wife.'
As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him, but she was not able to do so, because Herod was in awe of John, knowing him to be a good and upright man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.
An opportunity came on Herod's birthday when he gave a banquet for the nobles of his court, for his army officers and for the leading figures in Galilee. When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, 'Ask me anything you like and I will give it you.' And he swore her an oath, 'I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.'
She went out and said to her mother, 'What shall I ask for?' She replied, 'The head of John the Baptist.' The girl at once rushed back to the king and made her request, 'I want you to give me John the Baptist's head, immediately, on a dish.'
The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her. At once the king sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John's head.
The man went off and beheaded him in the 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 about this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
King Herod had heard about him, since by now his name was well known. Some were saying, 'John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.' Others said, 'He is Elijah,' others again, 'He is a prophet, like the prophets we used to have.' But when Herod heard this he said, 'It is John whose head I cut off; he has risen from the dead.'
Now it was this same Herod who had sent to have John arrested, and had had him chained up in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife whom he had married. For John had told Herod, 'It is against the law for you to have your brother's wife.'
As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him, but she was not able to do so, because Herod was in awe of John, knowing him to be a good and upright man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.
An opportunity came on Herod's birthday when he gave a banquet for the nobles of his court, for his army officers and for the leading figures in Galilee. When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, 'Ask me anything you like and I will give it you.' And he swore her an oath, 'I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.'
She went out and said to her mother, 'What shall I ask for?' She replied, 'The head of John the Baptist.' The girl at once rushed back to the king and made her request, 'I want you to give me John the Baptist's head, immediately, on a dish.'
The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her. At once the king sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John's head.
The man went off and beheaded him in the 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 about this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today describes how John the Baptist was victim of the corruption and of the arrogance of the Government of Herod. He died without being judged by a tribunal, in the course of a banquet given by Herod with the great men of the kingdom. The text gives much information about the time of the life of Jesus and on the way in which the powerful of the time exercised power. From the beginning of the Gospel of Mark we perceive or see a situation of suspense. He had said: “After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God!” (Mk 1, 14). In today’s Gospel, almost suddenly, we know that Herod had already killed John the Baptist. Therefore, the reader asks himself: “What will he do now with Jesus? Will he suffer the same destiny? Rather than drawing up a balance of the opinions of the people and of Herod on Jesus, Mark asks another question: “Who is Jesus?” This last question grows throughout the Gospel until it receives the definitive response from the centurion at the foot of the Cross: “Truly, this man was the Son of God!” (Mk 15, 39)
• Mark 6, 14-16. Who is Jesus? The text begins with a balance on the opinions of the people and of Herod on Jesus. Some associated Jesus to John the Baptist and to Elijah. Others identified him with a Prophet, that is, with someone who spoke in the name of God, who had the courage to denounce the injustices of the powerful and who knew how to animate the hope of the little ones. Persons tried to understand Jesus starting from the things that they themselves knew, believed and hoped. They tried to make him fit into familiar criteria of the Old Testament with its prophecies and its hopes, and of the Tradition of the Ancient, with their laws. But these criteria were not sufficient. Jesus could not fit in those criteria. He was much greater!
• Mark 6, 17-20. The cause for the killing of John. Galilee, the land of Jesus, was governed by Herod Antipas, the son of King Herod, the Great, from the year 4 BC up to the year 39 after Christ. In all, 43 years! During the whole life time of Jesus, there had been no changes in the government of Galilee! Herod Antipas was the absolute Lord of everything; he listened to no one and did whatever he pleased! But the one, who really commanded in Palestine, from the year 63 BC, was the Roman Empire. Herod, in order not to be removed from office, tried to please Rome in everything. He insisted above all, in an efficient administration which would provide income for the Roman Empire. The only thing that concerned or worried him was his security and promotion. This is why he repressed any type of subversion. Falvio Giuseppe, a writer of that time, says that the reason for the imprisonment of John the Baptist was the fear that Herod had of a popular revolt. Herod liked to be called benefactor of the people, but in reality he was a tyrant (Lk 22, 25). The denouncement of John against him (Mk 6, 18), was the drop which filled up the cup, and John was thrown into prison.
• Mark 6, 21-29: The plot of the murdering. The anniversary and the banquet of the feast, with dancing and orgies! This was an environment in which the alliances were plotted. To the feast attended and were present “the great of the court, the officials and important persons from Galilee”. In this environment the murdering of John the Baptist was plotted. John, the prophet, was a living denouncement in this corrupt system. This is why he was eliminated under the pretext of a problem of personal vengeance. All this reveals the moral weakness of Herod. So much power accumulated in the hands of a man who did not control himself! Under the enthusiasm of the feast and of the wine, Herod swore lightly to give something to the young dancer. And superstitious as he was, he thought that he had to maintain his oath. For Herod, the life of his subjects counted nothing had no value. He used them as he wanted and decided what to do with them just as he decided where to place the chairs in his house. Mark gives an account of how things happened and lets the community draw the conclusions.
• The Gospel today describes how John the Baptist was victim of the corruption and of the arrogance of the Government of Herod. He died without being judged by a tribunal, in the course of a banquet given by Herod with the great men of the kingdom. The text gives much information about the time of the life of Jesus and on the way in which the powerful of the time exercised power. From the beginning of the Gospel of Mark we perceive or see a situation of suspense. He had said: “After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God!” (Mk 1, 14). In today’s Gospel, almost suddenly, we know that Herod had already killed John the Baptist. Therefore, the reader asks himself: “What will he do now with Jesus? Will he suffer the same destiny? Rather than drawing up a balance of the opinions of the people and of Herod on Jesus, Mark asks another question: “Who is Jesus?” This last question grows throughout the Gospel until it receives the definitive response from the centurion at the foot of the Cross: “Truly, this man was the Son of God!” (Mk 15, 39)
• Mark 6, 14-16. Who is Jesus? The text begins with a balance on the opinions of the people and of Herod on Jesus. Some associated Jesus to John the Baptist and to Elijah. Others identified him with a Prophet, that is, with someone who spoke in the name of God, who had the courage to denounce the injustices of the powerful and who knew how to animate the hope of the little ones. Persons tried to understand Jesus starting from the things that they themselves knew, believed and hoped. They tried to make him fit into familiar criteria of the Old Testament with its prophecies and its hopes, and of the Tradition of the Ancient, with their laws. But these criteria were not sufficient. Jesus could not fit in those criteria. He was much greater!
• Mark 6, 17-20. The cause for the killing of John. Galilee, the land of Jesus, was governed by Herod Antipas, the son of King Herod, the Great, from the year 4 BC up to the year 39 after Christ. In all, 43 years! During the whole life time of Jesus, there had been no changes in the government of Galilee! Herod Antipas was the absolute Lord of everything; he listened to no one and did whatever he pleased! But the one, who really commanded in Palestine, from the year 63 BC, was the Roman Empire. Herod, in order not to be removed from office, tried to please Rome in everything. He insisted above all, in an efficient administration which would provide income for the Roman Empire. The only thing that concerned or worried him was his security and promotion. This is why he repressed any type of subversion. Falvio Giuseppe, a writer of that time, says that the reason for the imprisonment of John the Baptist was the fear that Herod had of a popular revolt. Herod liked to be called benefactor of the people, but in reality he was a tyrant (Lk 22, 25). The denouncement of John against him (Mk 6, 18), was the drop which filled up the cup, and John was thrown into prison.
• Mark 6, 21-29: The plot of the murdering. The anniversary and the banquet of the feast, with dancing and orgies! This was an environment in which the alliances were plotted. To the feast attended and were present “the great of the court, the officials and important persons from Galilee”. In this environment the murdering of John the Baptist was plotted. John, the prophet, was a living denouncement in this corrupt system. This is why he was eliminated under the pretext of a problem of personal vengeance. All this reveals the moral weakness of Herod. So much power accumulated in the hands of a man who did not control himself! Under the enthusiasm of the feast and of the wine, Herod swore lightly to give something to the young dancer. And superstitious as he was, he thought that he had to maintain his oath. For Herod, the life of his subjects counted nothing had no value. He used them as he wanted and decided what to do with them just as he decided where to place the chairs in his house. Mark gives an account of how things happened and lets the community draw the conclusions.
4) Personal questions
• Do you know the case of persons who have died victims of corruption and of the dominion of the powerful? And do you know persons in our community and in our Church victims of authoritarianism and of an excess of power?
• Herod, the powerful who thought to be the owner of life and death of the people, was a great superstitious person, and feared John the Baptist. He was a coward before the great, a corrupt man before the girl. Superstition, cowardice, and corruption distinguished the exercise of the power of Herod. Compare this with the religious and civil power today in the various levels of society and of the Church.
• Do you know the case of persons who have died victims of corruption and of the dominion of the powerful? And do you know persons in our community and in our Church victims of authoritarianism and of an excess of power?
• Herod, the powerful who thought to be the owner of life and death of the people, was a great superstitious person, and feared John the Baptist. He was a coward before the great, a corrupt man before the girl. Superstition, cowardice, and corruption distinguished the exercise of the power of Herod. Compare this with the religious and civil power today in the various levels of society and of the Church.
5) Concluding prayer
This God, his way is blameless;
the word of Yahweh is refined in the furnace,
for he alone is the shield of all who take refuge in him. (Ps 18,30)
This God, his way is blameless;
the word of Yahweh is refined in the furnace,
for he alone is the shield of all who take refuge in him. (Ps 18,30)
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