20260829 RULED BY FEAR OR RULED BY FAITH
29 August 2026, Saturday, Beheading of St John the Baptist
First reading |
Jeremiah 1:17-19 |
Stand up and tell them all I command you; do not be dismayed at their presence
The word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying:
‘Brace yourself for action.
Stand up and tell them
all I command you.
Do not be dismayed at their presence,
or in their presence I will make you dismayed.
‘I, for my part, today will make you
into a fortified city,
a pillar of iron,
and a wall of bronze
to confront all this land:
the kings of Judah, its princes,
its priests and the country people.
They will fight against you
but shall not overcome you,
for I am with you to deliver you –
it is the Lord who speaks.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 70(71):1-6,15,17 |
My lips will tell of your help.
In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, free me:
pay heed to me and save me.
My lips will tell of your help.
Be a rock where I can take refuge,
a mighty stronghold to save me;
for you are my rock, my stronghold.
Free me from the hand of the wicked.
My lips will tell of your help.
It is you, O Lord, who are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, since my youth.
On you I have leaned from my birth,
from my mother’s womb you have been my help.
My lips will tell of your help.
My lips will tell of your justice
and day by day of your help.
O God, you have taught me from my youth
and I proclaim your wonders still.
My lips will tell of your help.
Gospel Acclamation | Mt5:10 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy those who are persecuted
in the cause of right,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 6:17-29 |
The beheading of John the Baptist
Herod sent to have John arrested, and 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, because Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy 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 hurried straight back to the king and made her request, ‘I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head, here and now, 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. So the king at once sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John’s head. The man went off and beheaded him in 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.
RULED BY FEAR OR RULED BY FAITH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JEREMIAH 1:17-19; MARK 6:17-29]
What drives us in life? What drives us to act? In the final analysis, what drives us to choose a certain career or vocation? There are only two answers: we are either driven by fear or by faith. Indeed, the force of fear is unimaginable, and every action ultimately boils down to one of these two motivators. This dynamic is portrayed in a dramatic way in today’s scripture readings, especially the Gospel.
King Herod is perhaps the most pitiful man in today’s Gospel. He was driven by fear throughout his life. Although he was a king and should have commanded fear from his subjects, he lived in fear himself. He feared John, whom he knew to be a man of God. He feared the wrath of Herodias. He feared losing his reputation and suffered under the low opinion of others. Fear drove him to play to the crowd. He even feared God, for he “was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy man.” As a result of fear, he acted rashly and without thinking. Fear blinded him–and a heart that lives in fear will never find peace.
Of course, he was not the only one living in fear. Herodias herself was driven by fear to the point that it consumed her, turning her vindictive and vengeful. She feared that John the Baptist would undermine her position as Herod’s wife and destroy their relationship. Her daughter was similarly ruled by fear. Herodias must have been such a fierce and controlling mother that her daughter acted like an automaton, unable to decide anything for herself. This is true for many young people raised by domineering parents; even as they grow older, they remain dependent on their parents for decision-making and are afraid to express their own convictions. Fear paralyzed them, just as it paralyzed Herodias’s daughter. She lived in such fear under her mother’s authority that she could not even choose between half a kingdom and a useless, decapitated head. What was she going to do with a head?
In contrast, Jeremiah and John the Baptist were ruled by faith. Jeremiah understood that he was called by the Lord to speak to his people. Convinced of God’s presence, he spoke fearlessly, in season and out of season. Indeed, he heard the Lord say to him: “Brace yourself for action. Stand up and tell them all I command you. Do not be dismayed at their presence, or in their presence I will make you dismayed. I, for my part, today will make you into a fortified city, a pillar of iron, and a wall of bronze to confront all this land: the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests, and the country people. They will fight against you but shall not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you–it is the Lord who speaks.” Were he not ruled by faith, Jeremiah would not have been able to speak so courageously against false prophets and kings.
In the same vein, John the Baptist was ruled by faith–a faith expressed through his commitment to truth and justice. Even Herod recognised him as “a good and holy man and gave him his protection.” Because of his faith in God, John was passionate about truth and justice. He lived in the desert, where he could hear the voice of God speaking clearly within him. Because he loved God, he also loved his fellow human beings and fought for love through truth and justice. He spoke up for the marginalised, the sinners, the outcasts, and most of all for King Philip, whose wife had been taken from him. John the Baptist’s courage came from his deep faith in God, who is truth and justice.
What about us? Are we ruled by fear? What urges us to do what we are doing today? Is it because we fear for our future security? Are we afraid that we won’t be recognised by society, or that we won’t be loved by others? In our workplaces or ministries, are we ruled by fear?Why are we afraid to simply be ourselves? Why do we put on masks–not just before our superiors, but also with our friends? Is fear motivating us to put on a performance? The danger is that we can put on masks so well that we begin to believe we are what our masks represent. We want to believe that what we are doing is ruled by faith and love for others, when it is actually driven by fear and love of self. The power of fear is so strong that we often deceive ourselves unconsciously, always finding reasons to justify our actions.
This is where the real difficulty lies. Discerning our motives is always complex because of our tendency to hide our true intentions and rationalise our behaviour. It can be too painful to admit that we are seeking security in popularity, possessions, or talent. Out of fear, we put on a show before others while living double lives in private. We are rarely generous or helpful to those who have no influence over our status or future. If we want to know whether we are truly generous and humble in service, the best test is to examine how we treat our peers and those of lesser status than ourselves.
Like Herod, fear prevents us from listening to the dictates of our own hearts. Herod was supposedly attempting to come to terms with his actions, which accounts for his paradoxical attraction to John: “When he heard him speak, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.” The fact is that although he tried to suppress his conscience and rationalise his actions, the truth confronted him in his heart. Conscience, upon recognising the truth, responds to it immediately–even when the mind tries to justify wrongdoing. We, too, know our motives are wrong when we feel unsettled by our decisions.
However, if our lives are ruled by faith in God’s will, there is no room for fear. If our focus is on God, His glory, and His plan for us, we can live transparent and liberated lives. There is no need to impress people, because we are who we are. We don’t even need to worry about securing a specific position; if God calls us to assume an office or a leadership role, no one can stop us. He will ensure our success if we remain faithful to His voice. Without question, John suffered a brutal and unjust death, but in death, he was truly free because he was at peace. If we are faithful to God and His will, placing our faith in Him, then just as God assured Jeremiah, He will assure us that His love is stronger than fear and death. His grace is sufficient to see us through.
However, there is a warning for us all: if we deceive ourselves and others, we will ultimately live in guilt and regret. The Gospel tells us: “The king was deeply distressed, but thinking of the oaths he had sworn and his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her. So the king at once sent one of the bodyguards with orders to bring John’s head.” Herod was a coward who could not take a stand for what he knew was right, succumbing instead to fear. For the rest of his life, he lived in guilt–so much so that when he later heard about Jesus, he believed John the Baptist had come back to haunt him.
The same thing happens when we live inauthentic lives and deceive those around us, whether consciously or unconsciously. We might get what we seek in life, but a few years down the road–when masks are no longer needed–we may finally realise our true motives for seeking that position, and by then it might be too late. Eventually, we may be forced to step down because the role brings us no peace or joy. When that happens, like Herod, our lack of truthfulness will return to haunt us. Even if we remain in our positions out of fear and insecurity, we cannot thrive. Fear will deter us from exercising our prophetic calling to be courageous witnesses like John the Baptist. As a result, we live mediocre lives, knowing deep down that we have shirked our responsibility to stand for the truth. Like Herod, our consciences will not be at peace.
Indeed, fear is the root cause of our misery and our lack of freedom to choose. Today, on the feast of John the Baptist, let us pray that we might follow his heroic example–to stand up for truth, for values, and for God. Real power in life is not the power to control others, but the ability to order our lives in alignment with God’s plan. Death has no power over those who hear God’s voice and listen to the truth. May God grant us true courage.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
