Once upon a time, a woman prophesied to 13-year-old me: “Bo, you’ll receive the gift of wisdom. You’ll preach God’s Word to many people.” She then asked me to give a talk in our prayer group. She did it again and again. From a nobody, I rose up to fulfill her prophecy.

When God introduced Jesus to the world, He said, “This is My Son with whom I Am well pleased.” What was He doing? He was honoring and blessing the Son.

I believe God says these same words to you. “This is My child with whom I Am well pleased!” You may have a difficult time swallowing that. “No, Bo, I’m a big sinner. I’m sure He won’t say that about me.” But that’s grace. When God looks at you, He doesn’t see your mistakes. He sees the goodness He created in you.

Friend, God wants to tell you that He delights in you. He doesn’t only love you, He rejoices over you. When God sees you, I believe He’s so happy, He sings, jumps, and dances for joy.

Bo Sanchez (bosanchez@kerygmafamily.com) 

reflect

You are a prophet. Yes, you can shape the destiny of your children, friends, and loved ones with your words.

Bless my lips, Lord, that I may only speak words that uplift others. Amen.

St. Alphonsus Liguori, bishop, pray for us.

We all make mistakes and need correction from time to time. Being corrected is an opportunity to practice humility and learn from those wiser than us—it does not have to be a moment of shame. However, if we have been sinful or negligent, then shame is warranted. When prophets remind us of God’s ways and teachings, let us listen and learn so we may grow as better disciples.

¹¹ The priests and prophets said to the princes and to all the people, “This man deserves death; he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.” ¹² Jeremiah gave this answer to the princes and all the people: “It was the Lord who sent me to prophesy against this house and city all that you have heard. ¹³ Now, therefore, reform your ways and your deeds; listen to the voice of the Lord your God, so that the Lord will repent of the evil with which he threatens you. ¹⁴ As for me, I am in your hands; do with me what you think good and right. ¹⁵ But mark well: if you put me to death, it is innocent blood you bring on yourselves, on this city, and its citizens. For in truth, it was the Lord who sent me to you to speak all these things for you to hear.” ¹⁶ Thereupon the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve death; it is in the name of the Lord, our God, that he speaks to us.” ²⁴ So Ahikam, son of Shaphan, protected Jeremiah, so that he was not handed over to the people to be put to death. 

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34

R: Lord, in your great love, answer me.

¹⁵ Rescue me out of the mire; may I not sink! May I be rescued from my foes, and from the watery depths. ¹⁶ Let not the flood-waters overwhelm me, nor the abyss swallow me up, nor the pit close its mouth over me. (R) ³⁰ But I am afflicted and in pain; let your saving help, O God, protect me. ³¹ I will praise the name of God in song, and I will glorify him with thanksgiving. (R) ³³ “See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God, may your hearts revive! ³⁴ For the Lord hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.” (R)

Gospel | Matthew 14:1-12

Today, we celebrate the life of St. Alphonsus Liguori, the founder of the Redemptorists or the Society of Missions. His holy life reminds us of God’s mercy for His people. Saint Alphonsus reminds us to reflect on the cross of Jesus where we find the mystery of salvation, perfectly portrayed in the love of Jesus who died for us and was raised from the dead. Let us gaze on the cross every day and reflect on what it means to us. Let us allow ourselves to be drawn more deeply into the love and mercy of Jesus.

Gospel Acclamation

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

¹ Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus ² 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.” ³ Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, ⁴ for John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” ⁵ Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. ⁶ But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod ⁷ so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. ⁸ Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” ⁹ The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, ¹⁰ and he had John beheaded in the prison. ¹¹ His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. ¹² His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.

Read the Bible in one year! Read 1 MACCABEES 3 - 4 today.

One of the greatest shames a person can endure is not having the gumption to stand up for what they believe in, which can later lead to an unfortunate event. I wonder how Herod felt the next day after having ordered the decapitation of John the Baptist? Herod is clearly a man who is worried about what others think of him, to the point that he is no longer capable of standing up for the truth. And it is not as if he did not know what the truth is—he is clearly aware that John is a good man, and he has no reason to have him killed.

Hopefully, our moments of weakness do not have such drastic consequences as this. The only way we can be sure we are not responsible for any of these unfortunate circumstances is to have the courage to stand for the the truth—no matter the personal cost.

Another message of this story is where resentment can lead. Herod’s wife—formerly married to his brother—is angry (probably an understatement) because John had the guts to tell them that their marriage is immoral. She wants revenge because she has allowed resentment against John the Baptist to fester in her heart. Resentment does not always end in murder, but the lesson here is that any small sin can eventually grow into something big and out of our control.

The simplest solution to this problem is to learn to forgive—or in the case of Herod’s wife, to recognize the truth of the challenge to her morality and address it before anything gets out of control. Had Herodias done so, the rest of the sequence of events would not have resulted in John the Baptist having his head cut off. 

Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

reflection question

How courageous are you to speak up for the truth at any given time? Ask God for the grace to do so.

Jesus, help me to embrace the truth at all times, even if it is painful. I want to grow in holiness. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _____________________________________