Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist
Lectionary: 428/634
Reading 1
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Paul, called to be an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Sosthenes our brother,
to the Church of God that is in Corinth,
to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,
with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
their Lord and ours.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (1) I will praise your name forever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. I will praise your name forever, Lord.
Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
R. I will praise your name forever, Lord.
They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds
and declare your greatness.
They publish the fame of your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your justice.
R. I will praise your name forever, Lord.
Alleluia
Matthew 5:10
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 6:17-29
Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
"It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
Herodias harboured a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers,
his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee.
Herodias' own daughter came in
and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
"Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore many things to her,
"I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of 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 back to the king's presence and made her request,
"I want you to give me at once
on a platter the head of John the Baptist."
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders
to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Fidelity in Suffering
Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Herodias harboured a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. Mark 6:17–19
The suffering and death of Saint John the Baptist greatly parallels the suffering and death of Jesus. They were cousins. John was one of the first to acknowledge the divine presence of our Lord when he leaped for joy in the womb of his mother during the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. John lived a holy and simple life, embracing His mission to prepare the way for the Lord. He was the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets. Of him, Jesus said that there was no one born of a woman who was greater than John. For these reasons, we should not be the least bit surprised that John’s suffering and death parallelled and prefigured the death of the Savior of the World.
Herod was fearful of John, believing him to be a holy man of God. He imprisoned him with a certain regret, knowing that he was innocent. Similarly, before Pilate condemned Jesus to death, he found Him not guilty of any crime. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent but allowed fear to direct his choice to condemn our Lord.
John was ultimately killed because of the hatred and plotting of Herodias, the unlawful wife of Herod. It was Herodias’ anger that became a weapon, forcing Herod to put John to death. Similarly, it was the jealousy and anger of the religious leaders at that time that instigated and drove the death of Jesus. Pilate, like Herod, was at first unwilling to condemn our Lord. But the relentless hatred of the scribes and Pharisees compelled Pilate to condemn Jesus, just as it was Herodias’ hatred that compelled Herod to kill John.
After John’s death, some of his disciples came to carry his body away for burial. This was permitted by Herod, perhaps because of his feelings of guilt. So also with our Lord, Pilate permitted some disciples and the holy women to carry Jesus’ dead body to the tomb for burial.
In the end, the good fruit of Jesus’ death infinitely overshadowed the crime that was committed against Him. So also with John. We can be certain that, as a martyr, the blood he shed as a witness to Christ bore spiritual fruit that surpassed all he had done in his public ministry.
Each of us is called to imitate our Lord and, therefore, should also take inspiration from Saint John the Baptist. They both were innocent but suffered greatly. They both spoke the truth, despite the hatred of some. They both gave their lives, in accord with the Father’s plan. Jesus was John’s Savior; John was but a precursor and servant of our Lord.
Reflect, today, upon the invitation God has given to you to imitate the life of John the Baptist by uniting yourself to his Lord. The first form of imitation will take place when you commit yourself to the proclamation of the truth in accord with your mission. What mission has God given to you? How is He calling you to proclaim the Gospel with courage, strength, determination and fidelity to the end? Reflect, also, upon the injustice inflicted first upon John and then upon our Lord. As you do, try to look at any injustice you have received in life in the light of John’s and Jesus’ lives. They did not run away from injustice. They embraced it as a sacrifice and offered it to the Father in Heaven. Jesus’ Sacrifice brought forth the Salvation of the World; John’s was but a sharing in that glorious offering. Make your offering with them, and do not hesitate to do so with deep love and trust in the Father’s plan.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
melting pot
“He will keep you firm to the end.” —1 Corinthians 1:8, RNAB
Picture a pot of boiling water on the stove. A handful of firm spaghetti is dropped into the boiling water. Eventually, under the boiling heat of the water, the spaghetti will lose its firmness and grow soft. Likewise, the world, the flesh, and the devil (see 1 Jn 2:16) continually apply pressure to our souls, trying to break us down and soften us up.
Unlike the spaghetti, we Christians are not alone in the heat. As in the story of the three young men in the fiery furnace, there is a Son of God with us in the fire (Dn 3:92). Jesus is Emmanuel, God-with-us, always (Mt 1:23; Mt 28:20). With Jesus by our side and in our heart, our enemies and persecutors wilt, not us. “Our God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:29). Even “the mountains melt like wax before” Him (Ps 97:5).
Jesus has baptised us in the Holy Spirit (Mk 1:8). The fire of the Spirit is stronger than the fires of this world (see Gal 5:17). “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not” yield to the fears of the flesh and this world (Gal 5:16, RSV-CE).
St. John the Baptizer is a model saint for this principle of firmness. He kept firm in the truth till the end (1 Cor 1:8), even at the cost of his life. With St. John the Baptizer, let us persevere in firmness (Eph 6:11), trusting in the Lord to the end.
Prayer: Lord, by Your grace, I believe that You will keep me firm in faith during the heat of the trials I bear, even to the end. Jesus, I trust in You.
Promise: “Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.” —Ps 145:3
Praise: St. John the Baptizer unceasingly worked for purity in marriages and in government until it cost him his life.
Reflection 3
By Fr. Martin Hogan
Mark’s story of the beheading of John the Baptist which we have just heard has caught the imagination of artists and playwrights down through the centuries. The characters in the story are all very memorable. At the centre of the story, even though off-stage, is John the Baptist himself, the courageous prophet of the open spaces who speaks God’s word fearlessly, now confined in Herod’s prison. There is Herod, full of inner conflict, fascinated by John’s goodness and holiness, and, yet, enslaved to the rash promise he made in response to his step-daughter’s dancing. Then we have Herodias, full of vengeful bitterness towards John because of his prophetic word, and, finally, her dutiful daughter, whom tradition has named Salome, the willing servant of her mother’s murderous intent. Between them these four characters display the best and the worst instincts of human nature. John the Baptist was a Jesus figure. Indeed, according to the gospels, some people went on to believe that Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead. Like Jesus, John proclaimed God’s word, declared God’s purpose for our lives, with clarity and courage. Like Jesus, John was put to death because of his mission. What happened to John was an indication of what would happen to Jesus. John inspires us to be courageous in our witness to the faith; he encourages us to hold on to the values of the gospel and to proclaim them, even when they are out of season.
Prayers
Most glorious Lord, You invited Saint John the Baptist to prepare the way for Your coming and Your death. He gave his life as a martyr, and this sacrifice bore an abundance of good fruit. Please give me the grace to walk in his footsteps by faithfully fulfilling my mission in life with courage and strength. May I never waver in the face of injustice so that I can embrace it and make it my spiritual offering to You. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus Christ, give me faith, boldness, and courage to stand firm in the truth of the Gospel and to not waver in my testimony of your love and mercy. Give me hope and joy in the promise of everlasting life with you in your kingdom.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 241: Remedying Your Particular Sins
How do you overcome your sins? Every sin is different and requires specific prayer and sacrifice so as to detach from them. Three common sins are: those of the flesh, those of anger and those of pride. Each one of these sins can be overcome but may require special attention. If you struggle with sins of the flesh, try to fast. Give up that which is delightful to you on a physical level by fasting from various kinds of food or drink. For sins of anger, try to do some good deed or speak some kind word to the person with whom you are angry. Pray for them and speak the words of Jesus on the Cross, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” And for sins of pride, try to bow down prostrate before our Lord in prayerful humility, emptying yourself before Him. Seek to offer these specific remedies for the sins you struggle with and the Mercy of God will be poured down in abundance (See Diary #1248).
What are the specific sins you struggle with? Make sure that you regularly do a thorough examination of conscience, focusing on each one of the Ten Commandments in detail or on the seven capital sins. Once you have identified the main sins you struggle with, especially those that are habitual, seek a holy remedy for them. Penance for sins is like medicine. You need the right medication for each illness. Be open to the ways that God reveals to you these “medicines” for your soul and take them without hesitation. Each penance you do will open up the door of Mercy in a new and profound way in your life.
Lord, I know that I am sick on account of my many sins. I am weak and in need of healing. Help me to see my sins and to face them with Your Mercy. Give me the means of overcoming them so that I may draw closer to You. I love You Lord, free me from all that keeps me from You. Jesus, I trust in You.
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