Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the
Church
Lectionary: 406
Lectionary: 406
The LORD said to
Moses on Mount Sinai,
“Seven weeks of years shall you count–seven times seven years–
so that the seven cycles amount to forty-nine years.
Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month, let the trumpet resound;
on this, the Day of Atonement, the trumpet blast shall re-echo
throughout your land.
This fiftieth year you shall make sacred
by proclaiming liberty in the land for all its inhabitants.
It shall be a jubilee for you,
when every one of you shall return to his own property,
every one to his own family estate.
In this fiftieth year, your year of jubilee,
you shall not sow, nor shall you reap the aftergrowth
or pick the grapes from the untrimmed vines.
Since this is the jubilee, which shall be sacred for you,
you may not eat of its produce,
except as taken directly from the field.
“In this year of jubilee, then,
every one of you shall return to his own property.
Therefore, when you sell any land to your neighbor
or buy any from him, do not deal unfairly.
On the basis of the number of years since the last jubilee
shall you purchase the land from your neighbor;
and so also, on the basis of the number of years for crops,
shall he sell it to you.
When the years are many, the price shall be so much the more;
when the years are few, the price shall be so much the less.
For it is really the number of crops that he sells you.
Do not deal unfairly, then; but stand in fear of your God.
I, the LORD, am your God.”
“Seven weeks of years shall you count–seven times seven years–
so that the seven cycles amount to forty-nine years.
Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month, let the trumpet resound;
on this, the Day of Atonement, the trumpet blast shall re-echo
throughout your land.
This fiftieth year you shall make sacred
by proclaiming liberty in the land for all its inhabitants.
It shall be a jubilee for you,
when every one of you shall return to his own property,
every one to his own family estate.
In this fiftieth year, your year of jubilee,
you shall not sow, nor shall you reap the aftergrowth
or pick the grapes from the untrimmed vines.
Since this is the jubilee, which shall be sacred for you,
you may not eat of its produce,
except as taken directly from the field.
“In this year of jubilee, then,
every one of you shall return to his own property.
Therefore, when you sell any land to your neighbor
or buy any from him, do not deal unfairly.
On the basis of the number of years since the last jubilee
shall you purchase the land from your neighbor;
and so also, on the basis of the number of years for crops,
shall he sell it to you.
When the years are many, the price shall be so much the more;
when the years are few, the price shall be so much the less.
For it is really the number of crops that he sells you.
Do not deal unfairly, then; but stand in fear of your God.
I, the LORD, am your God.”
Responsorial PsalmPS 67:2-3, 5, 7-8
R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
The earth has yielded its fruits;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
The earth has yielded its fruits;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
AlleluiaMT 5:10
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righeousness
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righeousness
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 14:1-12
Herod the tetrarch
heard of the reputation of Jesus
and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison
on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,
for John had said to him,
“It is not lawful for you to have her.”
Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people,
for they regarded him as a prophet.
But at a birthday celebration for Herod,
the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests
and delighted Herod so much
that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.
Prompted by her mother, she said,
“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,
he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.
His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,
who took it to her mother.
His disciples came and took away the corpse
and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison
on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,
for John had said to him,
“It is not lawful for you to have her.”
Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people,
for they regarded him as a prophet.
But at a birthday celebration for Herod,
the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests
and delighted Herod so much
that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.
Prompted by her mother, she said,
“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,
he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.
His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,
who took it to her mother.
His disciples came and took away the corpse
and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
Meditation: Herod's
reaction to John the Baptist
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. He 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 his conscience is pricked when he hears that all the people are
going to Jesus to hear his message of repentance and to see his mighty works.
Herod is now haunted by the thought that the prophet he murdered might now be
raised from the dead!
A sign of vanity and cowardice
Unfortunately for Herod, he could not rid himself of sin by ridding himself of the man who confronted him with his sin. Herod's power and influence was badly flawed. 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. Where do you get the strength of will and heart to choose what is right and to reject what is bad?
Unfortunately for Herod, he could not rid himself of sin by ridding himself of the man who confronted him with his sin. Herod's power and influence was badly flawed. 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. Where do you get the strength of will and heart to choose what is right and to reject what is bad?
God is our help and our strength
The Lord Jesus gives grace and help to the humble, to those who acknowledge their weaknesses and their sinfulness, and who look to God for his mercy and pardon, wisdom and strength. His grace and pardon not only frees us from a guilty conscience, it enables us to pursue holiness in every area of our lives, in our thoughts and intentions as well as our words and actions.
The Lord Jesus gives grace and help to the humble, to those who acknowledge their weaknesses and their sinfulness, and who look to God for his mercy and pardon, wisdom and strength. His grace and pardon not only frees us from a guilty conscience, it enables us to pursue holiness in every area of our lives, in our thoughts and intentions as well as our words and actions.
Fight fear with faith
God's grace enables us to fight fear with faith and to overcome the temptation to compromise good with evil. Do you rely on God's grace and help to choose his way of holiness and to reject whatever would weaken your faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ?
God's grace enables us to fight fear with faith and to overcome the temptation to compromise good with evil. Do you rely on God's grace and help to choose his way of holiness and to reject whatever would weaken your faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ?
"Heavenly Father, form in me the likeness of your Son Jesus
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
hardship and temptation."
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, MATTHEW 14:1-12
(Leviticus 25:1, 8-17; Psalm 67)
(Leviticus 25:1, 8-17; Psalm 67)
KEY VERSE: "This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him" (v 2).
TO KNOW: As Jesus' reputation spread, Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great and the ruler of Galilee, heard of the marvelous deeds that Jesus had performed. Herod feared that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. The king had imprisoned the prophet because of his courageous stance against the ruler's illicit marriage (Lv 18:16, 20:21). Herod wanted to kill the popular prophet, but he was afraid that his death would cause the people to revolt. At Herod's birthday party, he promised his step-daughter that he would grant her any request if she would dance for his guests. Prompted by her mother Herodias, the girl asked for John's head as her reward. Like the prophets before him, John was murdered for proclaiming the truth of God.
TO LOVE: What are the important issues for which I need to take a stand?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to speak out against the injustices that I see.
Memorial of Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and
Doctor of the Church
Alphonsus Liguori was ordained at age 29. He was noted for his simple, clear style of preaching, and his understanding way in the confessional. He was often opposed by Church officials for a perceived laxity toward sinners. He founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Liguorians or Redemptorists). Alphonsus was appointed bishop in 1762, and worked to reform the clergy and revitalize the faithful in the diocese. In 1775 he resigned his office due to his health, and went into what he thought was a prayerful retirement. In 1777 the royal government threatened to disband his Redemptorists. Calling on his knowledge of theology, and his skills as a lawyer, Alphonsus defended the Redemptorists so well that they obtained the king's approval. Alphonsus was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1871.
Saturday 1 August 2015
SAT 1ST.
St Alphonsus Liguori.
Leviticus
25:1, 8-17. O God, let all the nations praise you!—Ps
66(67):2-3, 5, 7-8. Matthew 14:1-12.
Today’s
readings speak of two feasts.
The first
is the Old Testament proclamation of the Year of Jubilee in which the
liberation of the people of God was to be celebrated. The second is a gruesome
event—no liberation here, but the enchaining power of sin. A king,
bewitched by a dancing girl, promises anything, and so John the
Baptist is slain. Jesus is silent on hearing the news.
He retires to a lonely place and then, gathering the large crowd
around him, feasts them all with a few loaves and fish.
When we
gather to feast with the Lord, we know that we can identify not only with the
crowd on the hillside but with those at that other, sinful, feast. Lord, have
mercy on us all.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
Walking Solo
|
Ultimately there is no friend who can fully understand us, who can
walk with us all the way. We must go forward and walk on our own in response to
who we are and who we are called to be in God. —Thomas Merton
August
1
St. Alphonsus Liguori
(1696-1787)
St. Alphonsus Liguori
(1696-1787)
Moral
theology, Vatican II said, should be more thoroughly nourished by Scripture,
and show the nobility of the Christian vocation of the faithful and their
obligation to bring forth fruit in charity for the life of the world.
Alphonsus, declared patron of moral theologians by Pius XII in 1950, would
rejoice in that statement.
In his
day, Alphonsus fought for the liberation of moral theology from the
rigidity of Jansenism. His moral theology, which went through 60 editions in
the century following him, concentrated on the practical and concrete problems
of pastors and confessors. If a certain legalism and minimalism crept into
moral theology, it should not be attributed to this model of moderation and
gentleness.
At the
University of Naples he received, at the age of 16, a doctorate in both canon
and civil law by acclamation, but he soon gave up the practice of law for
apostolic activity. He was ordained a priest and concentrated his pastoral
efforts on popular (parish) missions, hearing confessions, forming Christian
groups.
He
founded the Redemptorist congregation in 1732. It was an association of priests
and brothers living a common life, dedicated to the imitation of Christ, and
working mainly in popular missions for peasants in rural areas. Almost as an
omen of what was to come later, he found himself deserted, after a while, by
all his original companions except one lay brother. But the congregation
managed to survive and was formally approved 17 years later, though its
troubles were not over.
Alphonsus’
great pastoral reforms were in the pulpit and confessional—replacing the
pompous oratory of the time with simplicity, and the rigorism of Jansenism with
kindness. His great fame as a writer has somewhat eclipsed the fact that for 26
years he traveled up and down the Kingdom of Naples, preaching popular
missions.
He was
made bishop (after trying to reject the honor) at 66 and at once instituted a
thorough reform of his diocese.
His
greatest sorrow came toward the end of his life. The Redemptorists,
precariously continuing after the suppression of the Jesuits in 1773, had
difficulty in getting their Rule approved by the Kingdom of Naples. Alphonsus
acceded to the condition that they possess no property in common, but a royal
official, with the connivance of a high Redemptorist official, changed the Rule
substantially. Alphonsus, old, crippled and with very bad sight, signed the
document, unaware that he had been betrayed. The Redemptorists in the Papal
States then put themselves under the pope, who withdrew those in Naples from
the jurisdiction of Alphonsus. It was only after his death that the branches
were united.
At 71 he
was afflicted with rheumatic pains which left incurable bending of his neck;
until it was straightened a little, the pressure of his chin caused a raw wound
on his chest. He suffered a final 18 months of “dark night” scruples, fears,
temptations against every article of faith and every virtue, interspersed with
intervals of light and relief, when ecstasies were frequent.
Alphonsus
is best known for his moral theology, but he also wrote well in the field of
spiritual and dogmatic theology. His Glories of Mary is one of
the great works on that subject, and his book Visits to the Blessed
Sacrament went through 40 editions in his lifetime, greatly
influencing the practice of this devotion in the Church.
Comment:
St. Alphonsus was known above all as a practical man who dealt in the concrete rather than the abstract. His life is indeed a “practical” model for the everyday Christian who has difficulty recognizing the dignity of Christian life amid the swirl of problems, pain, misunderstanding and failure. Alphonsus suffered all these things. He is a saint because he was able to maintain an intimate sense of the presence of the suffering Christ through it all.
St. Alphonsus was known above all as a practical man who dealt in the concrete rather than the abstract. His life is indeed a “practical” model for the everyday Christian who has difficulty recognizing the dignity of Christian life amid the swirl of problems, pain, misunderstanding and failure. Alphonsus suffered all these things. He is a saint because he was able to maintain an intimate sense of the presence of the suffering Christ through it all.
Quote:
Someone once remarked, after a sermon by Alphonsus, "It is a pleasure to listen to your sermons; you forget yourself and preach Jesus Christ."
Someone once remarked, after a sermon by Alphonsus, "It is a pleasure to listen to your sermons; you forget yourself and preach Jesus Christ."
Patron Saint of:
Theologians
Vocations
Theologians
Vocations
LECTIO DIVINA:
MATTHEW 14,1-12
Lectio:
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father and protector,
without you nothing is holy,
nothing has value.
Guide us to everlasting life
by helping us to use wisely
the blessings you have given to the world.
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.
without you nothing is holy,
nothing has value.
Guide us to everlasting life
by helping us to use wisely
the blessings you have given to the world.
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 - Matthew 14,1-12
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the reputation of
Jesus and said to his court, 'This is John the Baptist himself; he has risen
from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.' Now it
was Herod who had arrested John, chained him up and put him in prison because
of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. For John had told him, 'It is against
the Law for you to have her.' He had wanted to kill him but was afraid of the
people, who regarded John as a prophet. Then, during the celebrations for
Herod's birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and so
delighted Herod that he promised on oath to give her anything she asked.
Prompted by her mother she said, 'Give me John the Baptist's head, here, on a
dish.' The king was distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of
his guests, he ordered it to be given her, and sent and had John beheaded in
the prison. The head was brought in on a dish and given to the girl, who took
it to her mother.
John's disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went off to tell Jesus.
John's disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went off to tell Jesus.
3) Reflection
•Today’s Gospel describes the way in which John the Baptist was
the victim of corruption and of the arrogance of the government of Herod. He
was killed without a process, during a banquet of the king with the great of
the kingdom. The text gives us much information on the time in which Jesus
lived and on the manner in which power was used by the powerful of that time.
• Matthew 14,1-2. Who is Jesus for Herod. The text begins by informing about the opinion which Herod had of Jesus: "This is John the Baptist himself, he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him”. Herod tries to understand Jesus starting from the fear which assailed him after murdering John. Herod was very superstitious and hid his fear behind the ostentation of his riches and of his power.
• Matthew 14, 3-5: The hidden cause of the murdering of John. Galilee, the land of Jesus, was governed by Herod Antipas, the son of King Herod, the Great, from the year 4 BC until the year 38 AD, after Christ. Forty-three years in all! During the time of the life of Jesus, there were no changes of government in Galilee! Herod was the absolute Lord of everything, he did not render an account to anyone, he did whatever passed through his mind. Arrogance, lack of ethics, absolute power, without control from the people! But the one, who commanded in Palestine since the year 63 before Christ, was the Roman Empire. Herod, in Galilee, so as not to be dismissed, tried to please Rome in everything. Above all, he insisted on an efficient administration which would bring riches to the Empire. His concern was his own promotion and his security. For this reason, he refrained from any type of subversion. Matthew says that the reason for murdering John was because he had denounced Herod, because he had married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Flavio Joseph, a Jewish writer of that time, says that the true reason for the imprisonment of John the Baptist was the fear of Herod that there would be a popular revolt. Herod like to be called the benefactor of the people, but in reality he was a tyrant (Lk 22, 25). The denunciation of John against Herod was the drop that caused the glass to overflow: “It is against the Law for you to have her”. And John was put in prison.
• Matthew 14, 6-12: The plot of the murderer. An anniversary and a festive banquet, with dances and orgy! Mark says that in the feast were “the great of the court, the officials and the important people of Galilee” (Mk 6, 21). This is the environment in which the murdering of John the Baptist is planned. John, the prophet, was a living denunciation of that corrupt system. This is why, he was eliminated with the pretext of a problem of personal revenge. All this reveals the moral weakness of Herod. So much power accumulated in the hands of one man incapable to control himself! In the enthusiasm of the feast and of the wine, Herod makes a promise by oath to Salome, the young dancer, daughter of Herodias. Superstitious as he was, he thought that he had to maintain this oath, and respond to the caprice of the girl; and because of this he ordered the soldier to bring the head of John on a tray and give it to the dancer, who then gave it to her mother. For Herod, the life of his subjects was worthless. He disposes of them as he disposes of the staircases in his house!
The three characteristics of the government of Herod: the new Capital, large estates, and the class of functionaries:
a) The New Capital. Tiberiade was inaugurated when Jesus was only 20 years old. It was called like that in order to please Tiberius, the emperor of Rome. It was inhabited by the lords of the earth, the soldiers, the policemen, the unscrupulous judges (Lk 18, 1-4). The taxes and the products of the people were channelled toward it. It was there that Herod made his orgy of death (Mk 6, 21-29). Tiberiades was the city of the palaces of the King, where those who wore soft, delicate dresses lived (cf. Mt 11, 8). It is not known by the Gospels that Jesus entered this city.
b) The large estates. Scholars say that during the long government of Herod, the large estates grew causing harm to community property. The Book of Henoch denounces the lords of the land and expresses the hope of the little ones: “And then the powerful and the great will no longer be the lords of the land”. (Hen 38,4). The ideal of ancient times was the following: “Each one will peacefully sit under his vine and nobody will frighten them” (1 Mac 14,12; Mi 4,4; Zc 3,10). But the politics of the government of Herod made this ideal impossible.
c) The class of functionaries. Herod created a whole class of functionaries faithful to the project of the King: the Scribes, the merchants, the lords of the land, the officers of the market, the tax collectors, the militia, the policemen, the judges, the local heads,. In every village there was a group of persons which supported the government. In the Gospels, some Pharisees appear together with the Herodians (Mk 3, 6; 8, 15; 12, 13), and that shows the alliance between the religious power and the civil power. The life of the people in the villages was very controlled, both by the government and by the religion. Much courage was necessary to begin anything new, as John and Jesus did! It was the same thing as attracting to self the anger of the privileged ones, both from the religious and the civil powers.
• Matthew 14,1-2. Who is Jesus for Herod. The text begins by informing about the opinion which Herod had of Jesus: "This is John the Baptist himself, he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him”. Herod tries to understand Jesus starting from the fear which assailed him after murdering John. Herod was very superstitious and hid his fear behind the ostentation of his riches and of his power.
• Matthew 14, 3-5: The hidden cause of the murdering of John. Galilee, the land of Jesus, was governed by Herod Antipas, the son of King Herod, the Great, from the year 4 BC until the year 38 AD, after Christ. Forty-three years in all! During the time of the life of Jesus, there were no changes of government in Galilee! Herod was the absolute Lord of everything, he did not render an account to anyone, he did whatever passed through his mind. Arrogance, lack of ethics, absolute power, without control from the people! But the one, who commanded in Palestine since the year 63 before Christ, was the Roman Empire. Herod, in Galilee, so as not to be dismissed, tried to please Rome in everything. Above all, he insisted on an efficient administration which would bring riches to the Empire. His concern was his own promotion and his security. For this reason, he refrained from any type of subversion. Matthew says that the reason for murdering John was because he had denounced Herod, because he had married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Flavio Joseph, a Jewish writer of that time, says that the true reason for the imprisonment of John the Baptist was the fear of Herod that there would be a popular revolt. Herod like to be called the benefactor of the people, but in reality he was a tyrant (Lk 22, 25). The denunciation of John against Herod was the drop that caused the glass to overflow: “It is against the Law for you to have her”. And John was put in prison.
• Matthew 14, 6-12: The plot of the murderer. An anniversary and a festive banquet, with dances and orgy! Mark says that in the feast were “the great of the court, the officials and the important people of Galilee” (Mk 6, 21). This is the environment in which the murdering of John the Baptist is planned. John, the prophet, was a living denunciation of that corrupt system. This is why, he was eliminated with the pretext of a problem of personal revenge. All this reveals the moral weakness of Herod. So much power accumulated in the hands of one man incapable to control himself! In the enthusiasm of the feast and of the wine, Herod makes a promise by oath to Salome, the young dancer, daughter of Herodias. Superstitious as he was, he thought that he had to maintain this oath, and respond to the caprice of the girl; and because of this he ordered the soldier to bring the head of John on a tray and give it to the dancer, who then gave it to her mother. For Herod, the life of his subjects was worthless. He disposes of them as he disposes of the staircases in his house!
The three characteristics of the government of Herod: the new Capital, large estates, and the class of functionaries:
a) The New Capital. Tiberiade was inaugurated when Jesus was only 20 years old. It was called like that in order to please Tiberius, the emperor of Rome. It was inhabited by the lords of the earth, the soldiers, the policemen, the unscrupulous judges (Lk 18, 1-4). The taxes and the products of the people were channelled toward it. It was there that Herod made his orgy of death (Mk 6, 21-29). Tiberiades was the city of the palaces of the King, where those who wore soft, delicate dresses lived (cf. Mt 11, 8). It is not known by the Gospels that Jesus entered this city.
b) The large estates. Scholars say that during the long government of Herod, the large estates grew causing harm to community property. The Book of Henoch denounces the lords of the land and expresses the hope of the little ones: “And then the powerful and the great will no longer be the lords of the land”. (Hen 38,4). The ideal of ancient times was the following: “Each one will peacefully sit under his vine and nobody will frighten them” (1 Mac 14,12; Mi 4,4; Zc 3,10). But the politics of the government of Herod made this ideal impossible.
c) The class of functionaries. Herod created a whole class of functionaries faithful to the project of the King: the Scribes, the merchants, the lords of the land, the officers of the market, the tax collectors, the militia, the policemen, the judges, the local heads,. In every village there was a group of persons which supported the government. In the Gospels, some Pharisees appear together with the Herodians (Mk 3, 6; 8, 15; 12, 13), and that shows the alliance between the religious power and the civil power. The life of the people in the villages was very controlled, both by the government and by the religion. Much courage was necessary to begin anything new, as John and Jesus did! It was the same thing as attracting to self the anger of the privileged ones, both from the religious and the civil powers.
4) Personal questions
• Do you know any persons who died victims of corruption and
domination of the powerful? And here among us, in our community and in the
Church, are there victims of authoritarianism and of the abuse of power?
• Herod, the powerful, who thought he was the lord of life and death of people, was a coward before the great and a corrupt flatterer before the girl who danced. Cowardice and corruption marked the exercise of the power of Herod. Compare all this with the exercise of religious power and civil orgy, in the different levels of society and of the Church.
• Herod, the powerful, who thought he was the lord of life and death of people, was a coward before the great and a corrupt flatterer before the girl who danced. Cowardice and corruption marked the exercise of the power of Herod. Compare all this with the exercise of religious power and civil orgy, in the different levels of society and of the Church.
5) Concluding Prayer
The humble have seen and are glad.
Let your courage revive, you who seek God.
For God listens to the poor,
he has never scorned his captive people. (Ps 69,32-33)
Let your courage revive, you who seek God.
For God listens to the poor,
he has never scorned his captive people. (Ps 69,32-33)
