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Commentary

Wednesday, 8/29/2018, the Passion of St. John the Baptist

Are You Listening?

First Reading Commentary: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

We write a resume when looking to apply for a well-paying job or to advance our career. We make every effort to put forth our best appearance when looking to win someone’s favor. And, oh, what great lengths we will go to just to catch the attention of someone that we are attracted to or have a crush on.

All of this is normal. What’s more, if you do not do these things, you will not be very successful in this world. You will probably not have many friends and may never find that one true love.

But if you want to be in God’s food favor and be with Him in heaven, then we should listen to what Paul tells us today in his first letter to the Corinthians. God does not need to be impressed. God does not want to be impressed. God made us and knows us better than we know ourselves. God just wants us to love Him and love each other. Everything else will work itself out.

Paul makes this point by making it clear that God does not choose those who we might consider. Instead, God chooses the foolish, the weak and the lowly. Paul says that God’s way is that no human being might boast before God.

However, today’s first reading concludes with Paul paraphrasing Jeremiah 9:23, “Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.” This is another one of those times where we can throw the dictionary out of the window. Paul’s paraphrasing of Jeremiah is not telling us to brag. Far from it.

If you read all of Jeremiah 9:23, you will find that the message is for us to know God. To know God is to know that He brings about kindness, justice and uprightness on the earth. We are not capable of doing that ourselves.

We are going through critical times and today’s message is exactly what we all need to hear right now. Question is: How many of us are listening?

Greed Kills

Gospel Commentary: Mark 6:17-29

Herod had placed John the Baptist in prison because John had told Herod, that it was unlawful for him to be with his brother's wife, Herodias. According to Matthew's gospel, Herod wanted to kill John the Baptist but he was afraid of the people who followed him and regarded him as a prophet. Mark tells us that Herod feared John because he knew that John was a righteous and holy man.

But at a birthday party for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance which delighted Herod and his guests. Herod was so delighted that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for up to one half of his kingdom.

Herodias’ daughter asked her mother for advice and her mother prompted her to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter. Herod was distressed but because of his oath and the guests who witnessed the oath, he dispatched his executioner to bring back the head and present it to the girl, who upon receiving it, gave the head to her mother. When the disciples of John the Baptist heard what had happened, they took his body and laid it in a tomb.

The mission of John the Baptist was to preach God’s Word and proclaim to the people that the Messiah was among them. John did not deviate from his mission and saw it through even though it cost him his life.

Herodias no doubt thought that she had won her battle with John by arranging for his execution but in fact, it was John who won. John received his promise of deliverance, but Herodias only proved her wickedness and greed.

When we think of greed, we usually think of money or material possessions. But there is also greed of the flesh and for Herodias; that greed was evidenced by her adultery. Through this act, we see once again, that one sin coexists and/or leads to another.

John the Baptist did nothing more than speak the truth about the adultery of Herodias. But sometimes, we cannot handle the truth because we do not want to hear it. Such was the case with Herodias who became angry, hated John the Baptist and sought revenge. Her hate led Herodias into becoming an accomplice to murder.

Herod also had greed of the flesh. Herodias was married to Philip, Herod’s brother and then to Herod which is why John had told Herod that the marriage was unlawful. This is the first time that we see Herod’s greed of the flesh which was so great that he took his brother’s wife which broke two of the commandments—Thou shall not commit adultery and Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife. Again, one sin leading to another.

Then Herod showed his greed through his lust for Herodias’ daughter. That lust was so strong that he did something which I can only describe as stupid, but a lot of men fall into this trap. He lost all of his common since which caused him to promise her whatever she wanted, and that oath led him into murder.

But we also have to look at Herodias’ daughter. Just what kind of a dance did she do? Nuff said about that. And just what kind of morals did she have by honoring her mother’s request asking for the head of John the Baptist which made her an accomplice to murder? 

The lesson in this Gospel is simple. Greed is not considered a deadly sin without good reason. Greed kills everything good within one’s spirit, is the root of many other sins and destroys all of one’s opportunities of entering the Kingdom of Heaven!

Reading 1          1 COR 1:26-31

Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.
Not many of you were wise by human standards,
not many were powerful,
not many were of noble birth.
Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,
and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing,
to reduce to nothing those who are something,
so that no human being might boast before God.
It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who became for us wisdom from God,
as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
so that, as it is written,
Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm          PS 33:12-13, 18-19, 20-21

R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of  famine.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

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 harbored 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.

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The Descent of the Holy Spirit
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Paragraph 767 "When the work which the Father gave the Son to do on earth was accomplished, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost in order that he might continually sanctify the Church."174 Then "the Church was openly displayed to the crowds and the spread of the Gospel among the nations, through preaching, was begun."175 As the "convocation" of all men for salvation, the Church in her very nature is missionary, sent by Christ to all the nations to make disciples of them.176

The Holy Spirit came to Mary and the Apostles as tongues of fire.

Saint ot the Day

Martyrdom of
St. John the Baptist

Herod's unlawful wife hated John the Baptist for speaking the truth so she sought revenge by having his head presented to her on a silver platter.

God does not call the prepared;
He prepares the called.

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.

The daughter of Herodias danced and delighted Herod so much that he promised her whatever she wanted up to half of his kingdom. Herodias, told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter.

John the Baptist proclaimed God's Word and testified to the people that the Messiah was among them.

Minute Meditation

Supernatural Membership

Just as my children become members of my family when I bring them into the world, so too our baptism incorporates us into the family of the Church. This supernatural membership prevents us from being orphans who have to fend for themselves in the spiritual wilderness.
— from The Church is Our Mother

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