Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 327
Lectionary: 327
Like the choice fat of the sacred offerings,
so was David in Israel.
He made sport of lions as though they were kids,
and of bears, like lambs of the flock.
As a youth he slew the giant
and wiped out the people’s disgrace,
When his hand let fly the slingstone
that crushed the pride of Goliath.
Since he called upon the Most High God,
who gave strength to his right arm
To defeat the skilled warrior
and raise up the might of his people,
Therefore the women sang his praises,
and ascribed to him tens of thousands
and praised him when they blessed the Lord.
When he assumed the royal crown, he battled
and subdued the enemy on every side.
He destroyed the hostile Philistines
and shattered their power till our own day.
With his every deed he offered thanks
to God Most High, in words of praise.
With his whole being he loved his Maker
and daily had his praises sung;
He set singers before the altar and by their voices
he made sweet melodies,
He added beauty to the feasts
and solemnized the seasons of each year
So that when the Holy Name was praised,
before daybreak the sanctuary would resound.
The LORD forgave him his sins
and exalted his strength forever;
He conferred on him the rights of royalty
and established his throne in Israel.
so was David in Israel.
He made sport of lions as though they were kids,
and of bears, like lambs of the flock.
As a youth he slew the giant
and wiped out the people’s disgrace,
When his hand let fly the slingstone
that crushed the pride of Goliath.
Since he called upon the Most High God,
who gave strength to his right arm
To defeat the skilled warrior
and raise up the might of his people,
Therefore the women sang his praises,
and ascribed to him tens of thousands
and praised him when they blessed the Lord.
When he assumed the royal crown, he battled
and subdued the enemy on every side.
He destroyed the hostile Philistines
and shattered their power till our own day.
With his every deed he offered thanks
to God Most High, in words of praise.
With his whole being he loved his Maker
and daily had his praises sung;
He set singers before the altar and by their voices
he made sweet melodies,
He added beauty to the feasts
and solemnized the seasons of each year
So that when the Holy Name was praised,
before daybreak the sanctuary would resound.
The LORD forgave him his sins
and exalted his strength forever;
He conferred on him the rights of royalty
and established his throne in Israel.
Responsorial Psalm PS 18:31, 47 AND 50, 51
R. (see 47b) Blessed be God my salvation!
God’s way is unerring,
the promise of the LORD is fire-tried;
he is a shield to all who take refuge in him.
R. Blessed be God my salvation!
The LORD live! And blessed be my Rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
Therefore will I proclaim you, O LORD, among the nations,
and I will sing praise to your name.
R. Blessed be God my salvation!
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed,
to David and his posterity forever.
R. Blessed be God my salvation!
God’s way is unerring,
the promise of the LORD is fire-tried;
he is a shield to all who take refuge in him.
R. Blessed be God my salvation!
The LORD live! And blessed be my Rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
Therefore will I proclaim you, O LORD, among the nations,
and I will sing praise to your name.
R. Blessed be God my salvation!
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed,
to David and his posterity forever.
R. Blessed be God 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.
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."
 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 will.
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, MARK
6:14-29
(Sirach 47:2-11; Psalm 18)
(Sirach 47:2-11; Psalm 18)
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 Jesus 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.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Prayer is Universal
The need to invoke the supernatural is part of every culture and
society. Prayer can be a way to determine who we are. In understanding who
created us, we obtain our identity. May we find fulfillment in who we are by
spending time in communion with Christ through prayer.
Blessed be God my salvation!
Two kings: two ways.God, Most High, today we pray for all leaders, world-wide and national, who wield influence and exercise power in business, industry, trade unions, politics, religion. In King David, the Scriptures celebrate an ideal leader of God’s People, while in the other king, Herod, they recall the profligacy, injustice and violence of a leader who does not hear God’s word through the prophet. May your Spirit enable our leaders to be truthful and sensitive, trustworthy and compassionate, makers of peace, not ruled by arrogance or prejudice, by impulse or unrestrained passion. Give them courage to persevere in the face of difficulty or disillusionment; guide them to choose honest advisers whose goal is the common good. Gracious Ruler of all, I thank you for other leaders, such as parents, teachers, pastors, known to the world or unknown, who have been instruments of your goodness and love.
February
7
St. Colette
(1381-1447)
St. Colette
(1381-1447)
Colette did not seek the limelight, but in doing God’s will she
certainly attracted a lot of attention.
Colette
was born in Corbie, France. At 21 she began to follow the Third Order Rule and
became an anchoress, a woman walled into a room whose only opening was a window
into a church.
After four
years of prayer and penance in this cell, she left it. With the approval and
encouragement of the pope, she joined the Poor Clares and reintroduced the
primitive Rule of St. Clare in the 17 monasteries she established. Her sisters
were known for their poverty—they rejected any fixed income—and for their
perpetual fast. Colette’s reform movement spread to other countries and is
still thriving today. Colette was canonized in 1807.
Comment:
Colette began her reform during the time of the Great Western Schism (1378-1417) when three men claimed to be pope and thus divided Western Christianity. The 15th century in general was a very difficult one for the Western Church. Abuses long neglected cost the Church dearly in the following century; the prayers of Colette and her followers may have lessened the Church’s troubles in the 16th century. In any case, Colette’s reform indicated the entire Church’s need to follow Christ more closely.
Colette began her reform during the time of the Great Western Schism (1378-1417) when three men claimed to be pope and thus divided Western Christianity. The 15th century in general was a very difficult one for the Western Church. Abuses long neglected cost the Church dearly in the following century; the prayers of Colette and her followers may have lessened the Church’s troubles in the 16th century. In any case, Colette’s reform indicated the entire Church’s need to follow Christ more closely.
Quote:
In her spiritual testament, Colette told her sisters: "We must faithfully keep what we have promised. If through human weakness we fail, we must always without delay arise again by means of holy penance, and give our attention to leading a good life and to dying a holy death. May the Father of all mercy, the Son by his holy passion, and the Holy Spirit, source of peace, sweetness and love, fill us with their consolation. Amen."
In her spiritual testament, Colette told her sisters: "We must faithfully keep what we have promised. If through human weakness we fail, we must always without delay arise again by means of holy penance, and give our attention to leading a good life and to dying a holy death. May the Father of all mercy, the Son by his holy passion, and the Holy Spirit, source of peace, sweetness and love, fill us with their consolation. Amen."
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 6,14-29
Lectio:
Friday, February 7, 2014
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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