Friday of
the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 327
Lectionary: 327
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| Mk 6,:4-29 |
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
Psalm Ps 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.
Gospel Mk 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.
www.usccb.org
Meditation:Herod's guilty
conscience
Do you ever feel haunted by a past failure or a guilty conscience? 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.
John ended up in prison because of Herodias' 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. 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 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."
www.dailyscripture.net
 Grace’s Last Stand and Ultimate Victory |
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Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
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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
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FRIDAY,
FEBRUARY 8
MARK 6:14-29
(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).
READING: Between the incidents of Jesus' sending forth the Twelve and their return, Mark inserted the story of the death of John the Baptist. Perhaps Mark wanted to indicate the fate that awaited the Apostles as they preached the Gospel. When King Herod heard reports about Jesus, he believed that he was John the Baptist whom he beheaded, and had been raised from the dead. John had spoken out in public against Herod's illicit marriage with Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Philip (Lv 18:16,20: 21). Enraged by 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 foolishly offered the young girl anything she wanted. Out of spite, Herodias told her daughter to ask for the head of the Baptist. In giving his life for his faithfulness in announcing the coming of God's kingdom, John's martyrdom prefigured Jesus' own death.
REFLECTING: Am I willing to protest injustice when I see it?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, give me courage to defend the truth when others oppose me.
After a dissolute youth, Jerome Emiliani became a soldier in Venice in 1506. Captured by Venetian forces in 1511, he was chained in a dungeon. He prayed to Our Lady for help, and was miraculously freed by an apparition, and he hung his chains on a church wall as an offering. Jerome was ordained in the spotted-fever plague year of 1518. He cared for the sick and housed orphans in his own home. At night he roamed the streets, burying those who had died unattended. He contracted the fever himself, but survived. Jerome founded six orphanages, a shelter for penitent prostitutes, and a hospital. In 1532 he founded the Order of Somaschi (Company of Servants of the Poor, or Somascan Fathers, or Regular Clergy of Somasca), which was named after the town of Somasca where the order started. They continue their work today in a dozen countries. It is believed Jerome developed the question-and-answer catechism technique for teaching children religion. He was declared the patron of orphans and abandoned children in 1928 by Pope Pius XI.
Optional Memorial of Josephine Bakhita, virgin
Josephine Bakhita was born to a wealthy Sudanese family, and given the name Bakhita, which means �fortunate.� She was kidnapped by slave-traders at age 9 and was purchased in 1883 by an Italian consul who planned to free her. She accompanied him to Italy and worked for the family as a nanny. As an adult convert she joined the Church in 1890, and took the name of Josephine as a symbol of her new life. She entered the Institute of Canossian Daughters of Charity in Venice, Italy in 1893, serving as a Canossian Sister for the next fifty years. Her gentle presence, her warm, amiable voice, and her willingness to help with any menial task comforted the poor and suffering people who came to the door of the Institute. After her biography was published in 1930, she became a noted and sought after speaker, raising funds to support missions.
www.daily-word-of-life.com
The Lord is my light and my salvation
The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
These may well have been the words that guided St Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese slave who was kidnapped and mistreated but later, being touched by the grace of human kindness, found freedom. Assisted by, and later joining the Canossian Daughters of Charity, Josephine found the God whose grace had supported her through her difficult times.
Has a similar experience of grace touched other African women who now find themselves on our shores? Can our hands help deliver the grace they need to flourish? If we look closely enough we can see the hand of God in the lives of many of our disadvantaged brothers and sisters. Like St Josephine Bakhita, they have much to teach us.
www.churchresources.info
February 8
St. Josephine Bakhita
(c. 1868-1947)
For many years, Josephine
Bakhita was a slave but her spirit was always free and eventually that spirit
prevailed.
Born in Olgossa in the Darfur region of southern
Sudan, Josephine was kidnapped at the age of seven, sold into slavery and given
the name Bakhita, which means fortunate. She was re-sold several times,
finally in 1883 to Callisto Legnani, Italian consul in Khartoum, Sudan.
Two years later he took Josephine to Italy and gave
her to his friend Augusto Michieli. Bakhita became babysitter to Mimmina
Michieli, whom she accompanied to Venice's Institute of the Catechumens, run by
the Canossian Sisters. While Mimmina was being instructed, Josephine felt drawn
to the Catholic Church. She was baptized and confirmed in 1890, taking the name
Josephine.
When the Michielis returned from Africa and wanted to
take Mimmina and Josephine back with them, the future saint refused to go.
During the ensuing court case, the Canossian sisters and the patriarch of
Venice intervened on Josephine's behalf. The judge concluded that since slavery
was illegal in Italy, she had actually been free since 1885.
Josephine entered the Institute of St. Magdalene of
Canossa in 1893 and made her profession three years later. In 1902, she was
transferred to the city of Schio (northeast of Verona), where she assisted her
religious community through cooking, sewing, embroidery and welcoming visitors
at the door. She soon became well loved by the children attending the sisters'
school and the local citizens. She once said, "Be good, love the Lord,
pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!"
The first steps toward her beatification began in
1959. She was beatified in 1992 and canonized eight years later.
Comment:
Josephine's body was mutilated by those who enslaved her, but they could not touch her inner spirit. Her Baptism set her on an eventual path toward asserting her civic freedom and then service to God's people as a Canossian sister.
Josephine's body was mutilated by those who enslaved her, but they could not touch her inner spirit. Her Baptism set her on an eventual path toward asserting her civic freedom and then service to God's people as a Canossian sister.
She who worked under many "masters" was
finally happy to address God as "master" and carry out everything
that she believed to be God's will for her.
Quote:
During his homily at her canonization Mass in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul II said that in St. Josephine Bakhita, "We find a shining advocate of genuine emancipation. The history of her life inspires not passive acceptance but the firm resolve to work effectively to free girls and women from oppression and violence, and to return them to their dignity in the full exercise of their rights."
During his homily at her canonization Mass in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul II said that in St. Josephine Bakhita, "We find a shining advocate of genuine emancipation. The history of her life inspires not passive acceptance but the firm resolve to work effectively to free girls and women from oppression and violence, and to return them to their dignity in the full exercise of their rights."
February 8
St. Jerome Emiliani
(1481?-1537)
A careless and irreligious
soldier for the city-state of Venice, Jerome was captured in a skirmish at an
outpost town and chained in a dungeon. In prison Jerome had a lot of time to
think, and he gradually learned how to pray. When he escaped, he returned to
Venice where he took charge of the education of his nephews—and began his own
studies for the priesthood.
In the years after his ordination, events again called
Jerome to a decision and a new lifestyle. Plague and famine swept northern
Italy. Jerome began caring for the sick and feeding the hungry at his own
expense. While serving the sick and the poor, he soon resolved to devote
himself and his property solely to others, particularly to abandoned children.
He founded three orphanages, a shelter for penitent prostitutes and a hospital.
Around 1532 Jerome and two other priests established a
congregation, the Clerks Regular of Somasca, dedicated to the care of orphans
and the education of youth. Jerome died in 1537 from a disease he caught while
tending the sick. He was canonized in 1767. In 1928 Pius Xl named him the
patron of orphans and abandoned children.
Comment:
Very often in our lives it seems to take some kind of “imprisonment” to free us from the shackles of our self-centeredness. When we’re “caught” in some situation we don’t want to be in, we finally come to know the liberating power of Another. Only then can we become another for “the imprisoned” and “the orphaned” all around us.
Very often in our lives it seems to take some kind of “imprisonment” to free us from the shackles of our self-centeredness. When we’re “caught” in some situation we don’t want to be in, we finally come to know the liberating power of Another. Only then can we become another for “the imprisoned” and “the orphaned” all around us.
Quote:
“‘The father of orphans and the defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. God gives a home to the forsaken; he leads forth prisoners to prosperity; only rebels remain in the parched land’ (Psalm 68).... We should not forget the growing number of persons who are often abandoned by their families and by the community: the old, orphans, the sick and all kinds of people who are rejected…. We must be prepared to take on new functions and new duties in every sector of human activity and especially in the sector of world society, if justice is really to be put into practice. Our action is to be directed above all at those men and nations which, because of various forms of oppression and because of the present character of our society, are silent, indeed voiceless, victims of injustice” (Justice in the World, 1971 World Synod of Bishops).
“‘The father of orphans and the defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. God gives a home to the forsaken; he leads forth prisoners to prosperity; only rebels remain in the parched land’ (Psalm 68).... We should not forget the growing number of persons who are often abandoned by their families and by the community: the old, orphans, the sick and all kinds of people who are rejected…. We must be prepared to take on new functions and new duties in every sector of human activity and especially in the sector of world society, if justice is really to be put into practice. Our action is to be directed above all at those men and nations which, because of various forms of oppression and because of the present character of our society, are silent, indeed voiceless, victims of injustice” (Justice in the World, 1971 World Synod of Bishops).
Patron Saint of:
Orphans, abandoned children
Orphans, abandoned children
Lectio: Mark 6,14-29
Lectio:
Friday, February 8, 2013
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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