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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider Herod feared John

Herod feared John

Published Aug 28, 2023 04:02 pm

REFLECTIONS TODAY

Gird your loins

Besides Jesus and Mary, John the Baptist is the only other person whose birthday and day of death are liturgically marked by the Church. Today we read the account of his martyrdom in Mark’s Gospel. Along with the other evangelists, the first-century Jewish historian Josephus also disapproved of Herod Antipas’ union with Herodias (Antiquities 18.5.4), the wife of his half-brother Herod Boethus, son of Herod the Great and Mariamne II, who was also called Herod Philip by some writers. Their relationship was prohibited by Law (Lv 18:16; 20:21). John’s speaking out against this breach of the Jewish law gets him into trouble with Herodias, who opportunely sees Herod’s promise to her daughter as a chance to ask for John’s death. John is beheaded for his boldness in speaking out for the truth. He conforms his life to the truth, conscious and aware of his holy vocation as the precursor of the coming Messiah. John’s righteousness and Herod’s grip on his reputation and power are here put in stark contrast with each other. While John is bent on doing what is right and just in the sight of God, Herod is preoccupied with pleasing his guests. Herod roots his identity in the fear of man; John in the fear of God. Because John fears God, he is free from the fear of man and death, and nothing can stop him from proclaiming the truth.

First Reading • 1 Thes 2:1-8 [or Jer 1:17-19] 
Brothers and sisters: The Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God. Among men, who knows what pertains to the man except his spirit that is within? Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God. And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms. 


Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it, because it is judged spiritually. The one who is spiritual, however, can judge everything but is not subject to judgment by anyone. 


For “who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2023,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.

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