The last line in today’s reading is the most important. The enemy’s power is arrayed against the faithful. Satan is waging a battle but he will not prevail. This is the battle we face as disciples of Jesus. He has won the victory for us. Let us remember to live in the victory of Christ on the cross. Satan will attempt to steal this from us, but if we persevere in the truth, he will fail.

Jeremiah 1:17-19 (or 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10, 16-18)

17 The word of the Lord came to me thus: Gird your loins; stand up and tell them all that I command you. Be not crushed on their account, as though I would leave you crushed before them. 18 For it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land: against Judah’s kings and princes, against its priests and people. 19 They will fight against you, but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.

P S A L M 

Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15, 17 (or Psalm 128: 1-2, 4-5)

R: I will sing your salvation.

1 In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 In your justice rescue me, and deliver me; incline your ear to me, and save me. (R) 3 Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked. (R) 5 For you are my hope O Lord, my trust, O God, from my youth. 6 On you I depend from birth; from my mother’s womb you are my strength. (R) 15 My mouth shall declare your justice, day by day your salvation. 17 O God, you have taught me from my youth, and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds. (R)

GOSPEL 

John the Baptist pays with his life for standing up for the truth. Did death and evil prevail? John is reborn into eternal life, and so life wins in the end. His time on earth ends and he dies in the glory of martyrdom. The truth prevails and John is vindicated, not Herod, Salome, her mother, or the murderers.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Mark 6:17-29 (or Matthew 23:27-32)

17 Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. 18 John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. 20 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. 21 She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military of officers, and the leading men of Galilee. 22 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.” 23 He even swore many things to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 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.” 26 The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. 27 So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. 28 He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

John the Baptist is a remarkable figure in our faith history. He was martyred even before Christ Himself died. In the tradition of the Prophets, he gave his life for God’s truth. John was fearless in following God, to the point of challenging the moral decisions of the most powerful figure in the land. His death, also a result of the anger and jealousy of the wife of Herod, stands as an incredibly powerful witness to what is needed to ensure that the truth is proclaimed and the error challenged.

Martyrdom is not for the faint-hearted. This is particularly so when it is virtually courted, as in the case of John the Baptist. A more prudent and less forthright man could have chosen to remain quiet about the immorality of Herod’s actions, but not John the Baptist. He could not stand by and let the most powerful man in the country embrace immorality with impudence. He challenged the immorality, maybe just for the sake that it is put on record so that the youth and the easily swayed would know that what Herod was doing is wrong.

This is the life of a saint-martyr. As we reflect on John’s life today, let us ask ourselves what we are doing in the midst of immorality in the world. We may not be threatened with martyrdom; however, the world can make life uncomfortable for those who take a stand against its many excesses and selfishness. John refuses to tolerate any form of immorality. We, too, must be firm with our stand against immorality.  There is never an excuse for tolerating immorality, even if the world argues that tolerance is a virtue, insisting that we respect the right of others to differ. This argument is fine so long as the truth is not at stake. But when the world embraces a sin — for example, abortion — and seeks to legalize and legitimize it, we should not stay silent any longer. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

------- REFLECTION QUESTION -------

Do you fear standing up for the teachings of the Church because you are afraid of what people may say or think about you?

 

Dear God, we pray for the grace to always honor what we know to be true. St. John the Baptist, pray for us. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ___________________________________