Friday of 4th Week in Ordinary Time

 

Two Great Persons  

After we have heard in recent days the story of King David, Jesus Ben Sirach reinterprets for his time the personality of David: a valiant king whose power comes from God, a singer of psalms and an organizer of the liturgy, the covenant king to whom lasting kingship has been promised.

With the death of the Baptist ends the life of the last prophet of God of the Old Testament, who, as the hinge between the Old and the New Testaments, had prepared the way for the Lord’s coming. He died as a suffering servant of God, a new Elijah, who stood up to kings and infamous queens.

                    

First Reading: Sirach 47:2-11

      After Samuel, there arose Nathan, a prophet who served David well. that’s all I’ll say about Nathan.

      Regarding David, as the tastiest part of a scared sacrifice is the first cut, so David was the first pick of the children of Israel. He played with lions as well as lambs; he frolicked with wild bears and tame sheep. Wasn’t he the youngster who knocked off the giant Goliath and wiped clean the shame of his people? Goliath was mouthing off when David, with the flick of his wrist, let loose his sling, hitting the proud warrior right between the eyes. David, invoking the name of the Lord Most High, found enough strength in his right hand to take the strong man down, as well as ten thousand more of his compatriots. For this he was mightily praised, heaped high with the Lord’s blessing, and offered the crowd of glory. He laid low the enemies on all sides. He humiliated the Philistines, who had the upper hand at the time; he destroyed their supposed supremacy.

      In everything David did, with every word he spoke, he gave thanks to the Holy and the High; with his whole heart he praised the Lord. Simply speaking, he loved the Lord. David organized a choir around the Lord’s altar, where songs and psalms filled the air. They added class to the festivals; they celebrated the seasons. Right to the end of David’s life, the choir began each day filling the air with song praising the holy name of the Lord.

 

Gospel: Mark 6:14-29 

 King Herod heard of all this, for by this time the name of Jesus was on everyone’s lips. He said, “This has to be John the Baptizer come back from the dead—that’s why he’s able to work miracles!”

Others said, “No, it’s Elijah.”

Others said, “He’s a prophet, just like one of the old-time prophets.”

 But Herod wouldn’t budge: “It’s John, sure enough. I cut off his head, and now he’s back, alive.”

Herod was the one who had ordered the arrest of John, put him in chains, and sent him to prison at the nagging of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John had provoked Herod by naming his relationship with Herodias “adultery.” Herodias, smoldering with hate, wanted to kill him, but didn’t dare because Herod was in awe of John. Convinced that he was a holy man, he gave him special treatment. Whenever he listened to him he was miserable with guilt—and yet he couldn’t stay away. Something in John kept pulling him back.

But a portentous day arrived when Herod threw a birthday party, inviting all the brass and bluebloods in Galilee. Herodias’s daughter entered the banquet hall and danced for the guests. She dazzled Herod and the guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me anything. I’ll give you anything you want.” Carried away, he kept on, “I swear, I’ll split my kingdom with you if you say so!”

 She went back to her mother and said, “What should I ask for?”

“Ask for the head of John the Baptizer.”

Excited, she ran back to the king and said, “I want the head of John the Baptizer served up on a platter. And I want it now!”

That sobered the king up fast. But unwilling to lose face with his guests, he caved in and let her have her wish. The king sent the executioner off to the prison with orders to bring back John’s head. He went, cut off John’s head, brought it back on a platter, and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and got the body and gave it a decent burial.

 

Prayer

Lord, our God,
John the Baptist spoke without fear
to the high and the mighty,
that they too, were bound by God’s laws.
He risked his life for what is right and good.
Let him inspire us too
to let your word become flesh and blood in us
by taking the risks of our faith
and living as we believe.
Let this be the way in which we prepare
the fuller coming among us
of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:

Tongue can tie you in knots!
Today’s Gospel presents four major characters. There is John the Baptist on one side and King Herod, his brother’s wife Herodias and her daughter.
St. James’ letter describes tongue as fire (Jas 3:6). It can burn and destroy lives. The words we utter can either build up or imprison us and others, depending on how and what we speak. John the Baptist used his tongue to speak the truth and challenge the king. But the truth is that the ‘truth’ is seldom appreciated, and often strangled.
About Herod, the Gospel says, “The king regretted his promise.” One translation of the Bible says he was “tied in a knot” – a very graphic description. Tongue, if not controlled and mastered, can tie us in knots.
Pope Francis, explains the gospel and says, “Herodias hated John because he spoke words she did not like to hear. Hatred is Satan’s breath”, says the pope, “capable of doing everything except loving. The devil’s ‘love’ is hatred and Herodias had the satanic spirit of hatred that destroys. The daughter of Herodias was a talented dancer. But her talents are used to seduce and kill. Her mother nurtured her with hatred and spirit of the devil. She had no hesitation in asking for the head of a person as a gift! How heartless the child of woman with hatred has become. Parents who are filled with hatred towards family members or people in the neighbourhood are giving a wrong example and education to their children.
Times haven’t really changed much, as we hear and read about the beheadings that still happen around us. Herods and Herodias are still alive in our world. Many are beheaded just for speaking the truth and professing their faith as Christians. Today the Church commemorates the memorial of 184 Blessed Claretian martyrs who were killed during the Spanish Civil War between 1936-’39 just because they wore the cassock. They were offered to go free if they were to give up their cassocks and go home, which they refused and opted to die rather than giving up their faith.
John the Baptist ended up alone, in a dark prison cell, as the victim of a vain dancer, victim of hatred of a diabolical woman and victim of an undecided king. John’s beheading, took place long ago and far away. But many more killings happen today – around us and really not far away. What Can we do to stop the killings today?
Our words can kill people. Be sure of your words – both what we speak and what we post on social media platforms. Posts on media platforms today are more damaging than spoken words. Let our words be those generate life, love and forgiveness!

 

Video available on Youtube : Tongue can tie you in knots!