20210205 THE TRAGEDY OF POSTPONEMENT
05 February, 2021, Friday, 4th Week, Ordinary Time
First reading | Hebrews 13:1-8 © |
Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and will be for ever
Continue to love each other like brothers, and remember always to welcome strangers, for by doing this, some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Keep in mind those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; and those who are being badly treated, since you too are in the one body. Marriage is to be honoured by all, and marriages are to be kept undefiled, because fornicators and adulterers will come under God’s judgement. Put greed out of your lives and be content with whatever you have; God himself has said: I will not fail you or desert you, and so we can say with confidence: With the Lord to help me, I fear nothing: what can man do to me?
Remember your leaders, who preached the word of God to you, and as you reflect on the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and as he will be for ever.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 26(27):1,3,5,8-9 © |
The Lord is my light and my help.
The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?
The Lord is my light and my help.
Though an army encamp against me
my heart would not fear.
Though war break out against me
even then would I trust.
The Lord is my light and my help.
For there he keeps me safe in his tent
in the day of evil.
He hides me in the shelter of his tent,
on a rock he sets me safe.
The Lord is my light and my help.
It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;
hide not your face.
Dismiss not your servant in anger;
you have been my help.
The Lord is my light and my help.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Lk8:15 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are those who,
with a noble and generous heart,
take the word of God to themselves
and yield a harvest through their perseverance.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 6:14-29 © |
The beheading of John the Baptist
King Herod had heard about Jesus, 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 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.
THE TRAGEDY OF POSTPONEMENT
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [HEB 13:1-8; PS 27:1,3,5,8-9; MARK 6:14-29 ]
The life of King Herod was really tragic. He was an unhappy man, despite his power and wealth. He lived in deep guilt and regret. He lived in fear for what he had done, the sins he had committed, especially the sin of killing God’s prophet, continuing what previous kings of Israel had done. And therefore, that sin came back to haunt him when he heard about Jesus. “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.'”
We, too, often live in regret as well when we look back at our past. We cannot forgive the mistakes we made, especially the way we raise up our children. We cannot forgive ourselves for breaking beautiful relationships because of human weakness and infidelity. We cannot forgive ourselves for the greed and envy in us that led us to commit crimes. We wish we could turn back the clock. But it is all too late. Our spouse and even our children have left us. We have lost our reputation and respect. We hide ourselves from people in shame because of our past.
King Herod was however given the grace to repent. In spite of his weaknesses, God gave him the grace of a conscience that was still seeking for truth in his life. He had arrested John partly because of his insecurity, fearful that he could be a threat to his rule as king by his denouncement of corruption and sin; and most of all, by his reprimand of his adulterous marriage with Herodias, causing him to lose face before the people. But still, deep in his heart, he was dying to hear the truth and enjoyed listening to the preaching of John the Baptist because John spoke to him, the truth that no one dared to speak to him. No matter how wicked we are, there is a part of us, our conscience, seeking for truth. This explains why “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.” Even though Herodias “was furious with him and wanted to kill him; but she was not able to” because Herod gave him protection.
Unfortunately, he did not seize the opportunity. He allowed the grace of God to slip him by. He listened to John the Baptist but he failed to act. He kept on listening but he did not do anything with the grace of truth that he had received. As a result, evil overcome him. He allowed his insecurity over his throne to destroy his enemies cruelly. He sought acceptance by trying to please people and buy them over with his wealth and power. And so, when the day came, Herodias seized the opportunity to do evil by getting her daughter to dance before him. She knew the weakness of man and of Herod especially. Herod could be strong with regard to his enemies but she knew he had one weakness, that of sensuality and lust. Knowing how insecure he was and his need to prove himself, she used her daughter as a bait to trap him into beheading John. Herod fell into the trap because he did not want to compromise his decision and show himself to be weak. He reluctantly gave his assent for the head of John the Baptist to be brought on a dish.
This is a good lesson for us as well. No matter how wicked and evil we are, God’s grace is with us always. The problem is that we are too blinded by our fears, insecurity, pride and selfishness to recognize the presence of grace in our lives. God in His mercy continues to send us messengers to warn us of what lies ahead of us. Just as He sent prophets to warn His people, God sends our loved ones, our friends, our guardians, teachers and priests to guide us in walking the way of truth and love. But we ignore the voice of God and His messengers.
When we keep postponing our decision to accept the grace of God, we will end up like King Herod. Either we seize the opportunity of grace or the devil will seize the opportunity to weaken us further. We can be attending Mass, reading the Word of God and praying regularly, but if we do not put into practice what we have heard, it will do us no good. St James urges us, “Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act – they will be blessed in their doing.” (Jms 1:22, 25) Jesus also warns us, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell – and great was its fall!” (Mt 7:26f)
Indeed, this episode of the death of John the Baptist is sandwiched between the sending out of the Twelve for mission and their return was to underscore the importance of accepting the Word of God preached to us. The failure to do so would cause us to end up the same way as Herod. Rejecting God’s servants is ultimately our loss. This is what the Lord said earlier on when he was rejected by His own folks in His village (cf Mk 6:1-6) and His advice to His disciples that “if any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” (Mk 6:11)
This is why the author of Hebrews reminds us that if we truly accept Jesus as our mediator of the New Covenant, then our life of faith in Him must be expressed in a life of love and charity. “Continue to love each other like brothers, and remember always to welcome strangers, for by doing this, some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Love of our brothers/sisters and charity for strangers are the hallmarks of a Christian. He is supportive of his own loved ones and members of the Christian community. But his love is not exclusive just to those of his own kind. Christian love must be inclusive and given to all, including strangers, as the Lord taught us in His parable of the Last Judgment. He said, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” (Mt 25:34-36)
In a special way, we are called to give support to our fellow Christians, especially those who seek to proclaim the gospel. The stranger would include itinerant preachers and missionaries, and those who suffer persecution. “Keep in mind those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; and those who are being badly treated, since you too are in the one body.” We must feel with them and for our brothers and sisters who are suffering in the world because of their faith. Very often, although as Christians we call ourselves brothers and sisters, we do not see ourselves truly as members of the same family and the body of Christ as we do not care when our brothers and sisters are persecuted for their faith and for speaking out for Christ. We leave them alone to face the onslaught of the world, their criticism and hostile assaults on them.
We must stand up together to defend our faith in a world that is hostile to our gospel values. And this is particularly true when it comes to the Christian teaching on marriage. The author reminds us, “Marriage is to be honoured by all, and marriages are to be kept undefiled, because fornicators and adulterers will come under God’s judgement.” Indeed, we must not be like the rest of the world, always greedy and seeking for material things. The author says, “Put greed out of your lives and be content with whatever you have.” Instead, we must put our confidence in God for He Himself has said, “I will not fail you or desert you, and so we can say with confidence: With the Lord to help me, I fear nothing: what can man do to me?” With this faith, and in imitation of our leaders who have preached the Word of God to us, and reflecting on the outcome of their lives, we cling to our faith that “Jesus Christ is the same as he was yesterday and as he will be forever.” He will be faithful to us as to our forefathers.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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