Coffee With God

Reflection: Mt 14: 1-12

The Gospel presents us with the account of the beheading of John the Baptist. Herod Antipas ruled over Galilee from 4 BC to 39 AD, that is, all during the life of Jesus and beyond. He is the one to whom Pilate sent Jesus during his trial. Who would dare to fight for freedom of speech in a dictatorship? And to denounce a ruler’s character was nothing but suicidal. It continues to be the same even today. In today’s terms, people would have said, it was wrong for the Baptist to interfere with the personal life of a political leader. We have the oft-quoted, unwritten guideline of not mingling religion and politics. We hear politicians say to religious leaders, “Stay in your own spiritual world and leave the real world to us.” They are suggesting that religion has nothing to say on matters that they choose to label as ‘political’. Would they also say, “Leave wars to the military?” Or financial affairs to bankers? Religion has something to say to everyone. From the time of Prophets of the Old Testament – to John the Baptist and Jesus and the countless martyrs of the Church – people of faith refused to be intimidated by the political powers. Although they were all physically silenced by the powers that be, their silence became the loudest voice of witness against the perpetrators of falsehood and injustices. As Martyr Bishop Óscar Romero said, “those who protest are killed and whoever tells the truth, the protesters”. John protested the behaviours of Herod and Herodias and paid the price with his head. The Baptist knew how to risk his life to the end, for bravely denouncing what was unjust. The Gospel of Matthew introducing the account of the martyrdom of John suggests to the reader that Jesus will also be condemned for bearing witness to the truth. Jesus gives himself until the last moment to defend the life and dignity of each of God’s children, particularly those of sinners, the terminally ill, the poor, the abandoned and women. It is precisely this prophetic testimony of Jesus that captivated Ignatius of Loyola, whose memory we celebrate today. May Saint Ignatius infect us with his spiritual experience to “find God in all things.” Take Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, All I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me. -St. Ignatius of Loyola