Monday, August 29, 2011
The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist (Memorial)
by Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.
Mark 6: 17 - 29
17 For Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Hero'di-as, his brother Philip's wife; because he had married her.
18 For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
19 And Hero'di-as had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not,
20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he heard him gladly.
21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee.
22 For when Hero'di-as' daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, "
24 And she went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the baptizer."
25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
26 And the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her.
27 And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave orders to bring his head. He went and beheaded him in the prison,
28 and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.
29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:
A BLESSED MONDAY IN COMMEMORATION OF THE MARTYRDOM OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST!!!
Embarrassment is one of the “emotional states” that we avoid or prevent from happening to us. It is an emotional state wherein we have the awareness of our shortcoming or impropriety as a result of doing or saying something that is not socially or publicly acceptable. Embarrassment can either lead us not to do something we want to do or do something we do not want to do just to avoid public denunciation or criticism and therefore to maintain the feeling of being socially/publicly accepted.
The sad thing about the reason of the death of John the Baptist could be attributed to somebody’s feeling of being embarrassed. John was beheaded because Herod did not want to be embarrassed in front of his guests by not standing by his word to the daughter of his wife Herodias. Herod had made a vow and promised to Herodias’ daughter, after being delighted by her dance performance, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will grant it… Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom." After being told by her mother, the girl asked for the head of John on a platter. Such demand was made out of the embarrassment of Herodias whose relationship with Herod is denounced by John to be unlawful. Herod felt sorry for doing such a thing for John for he knew John is righteous and a holy man. But his respect and esteem for John was clouded by his avoidance of being embarrassed publicly. This clearly shows the lack of moral grounding and ethical stand in Herod. He was influenced by external pressures than by strong internal conviction.
The Gospel today reminds and challenges us to possess the real sense of embarrassment or shame that provides us a wholesome moral compass in our decision making. Many of us are victims of what I may call HERODIAN SENSE OF SHAME or EMBARRASSMENT that hiders us to do what is moral and ethical. It is the kind of shame or embarrassment that works under pressure before OTHERS rather than before GOD. Instead of evaluating our action or any plan of action to undertake, if it would be in conformity to God’s will, we rather consider whether someone might catch us or find us. We rather mull over or deliberate our decision on the basis whether we will be caught, therefore will be embarrassed, or not. If we are certain that we will not be put into some embarrassing situation, that is being caught by others, we carry out with what we intend to do even if we know that it is against God’s will or breaks any moral standards. We do not consider that God is always watching us. FEAR of the LORD is indeed the begining of WISDOM.
We are challenged today to be clear with the norm or basis of our decisions. There are a lot of voices influencing, or even pressuring us, what to do. We have the post-modernists mentality that offers to us the “anything goes” attitude of doing anything for as long as it is beneficial, useful, and helpful. Jesus does not lead us to do anything that is just beneficial, useful and helpful. Jesus leads us to do what is RIGHT! John the Baptist is a holy man not because he did what people expected from him. He, on the contrary, demanded people to reform their lives from their old ways of doing things. He preach to them conversion. John the Baptist was a holy man not because he did what is beneficial, useful, and helpful but because he is RIGHTEOUS! He was martyred or killed because he demanded what is RIGHT! John the Baptist taught us to have fear of the Lord. Because FEAR of the LORD is the beginning of WISDOM.
For your personal comments, you can reach me through this email: sanolorenz@yahoo.com
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