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| “ Beheading of Saint John the Baptist” (detail) by Caravaggio, 1608 |
Alternate Proper for the Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist
Readings for the Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist [1][2]
Readings for the Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist [1][2]
Note: The Gospel for this Memorial is from the Proper
Reading 1: 1 Corinthians 1:17-25
Brothers and sisters:
Christ did not send me to
baptize but to preach the Gospel,
and not with the wisdom of
human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ
might not be emptied of its meaning.
The message of the cross is
foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved
it is the power of God.
For it is written:
I will destroy the
wisdom of the wise,
and the learning of the
learned I will set aside.
Where is the wise one?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this
age?
Has not God made the wisdom
of the world foolish?
For since in the wisdom of
God
the world did not come to
know God through wisdom,
it was the will of God
through the foolishness of the proclamation
to save those who have faith.
For Jews demand signs and
Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ
crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and
foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called,
Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and
the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is
wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is
stronger than human strength.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 1:17-25
This passage from St. Paul
He continues refuting those who point to Christ’s
crucifixion as proof of Jesus’ fallibility by saying that faith, graciously
given by God allows the Christian to see the victory in what appears to the
scoffers to be a defeat (“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to
us who are being saved it is the power of God.”) St. Paul supports his premise by quoting Isaiah 29:14 attacking the “wisdom of the wise”. He calls Jesus a stumbling block for the Jews (probably because they
expected a Royal Messiah taking power like King David) and again foolishness
for the rational gentiles (Greeks) who pride themselves in logic – the cross is
not logical for a savior.
St. Paul concludes by telling the community (“…those who were called”), that it is God
who acts in them giving them faith (see also Romans 9:16) and that in the face of God’s
omnipotence all the wisdom and strength of humanity pales in comparison.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm. 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
R. (5) The earth is full of the goodness of the
Lord.
Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is
fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on
the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre
chant his praises.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
For upright is the word of
the LORD,
and all his works are
trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD
the earth is full.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
The LORD brings to nought the
plans of nations;
he foils the designs of
peoples.
But the plan of the LORD
stands forever;
the design of his heart,
through all generations.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps.
33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
Psalm 33 is a song of praise
and thanksgiving. In this selection the emphasis is on faithfulness to God who
has saving power combined with hope, a central component of faith in God.
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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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Commentary on Mk 6:17-29
The story of St. John the Baptist
life from St. Mark’s Gospel gives a concise picture of St. John’s end.
Especially here we note the similarities between the passing of St. John and
the passion of Jesus in Mark 15:1-47 . The rationale in both cases was the anger and guilt felt
at the truth proclaimed; in the case of John the guilt of Herodias, in the case
of Jesus, the Jewish leaders. Both Herod and Pilot acknowledge the
holiness of the ones they are to put to death. In both cases following the
executions, faithful followers insure the body is given a respectful burial.
St. Matthew’s Gospel gives a more complete introduction of Herod and Herodias
(see Matthew 14:1-3). The actual account presented here is done as a
flashback as Herod questions the identity of Jesus whose disciples have just
been sent into his region with great authority.
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Reflection:
We continue to marvel at God’s plan for us as
we are given the end of St. John the Baptist. From the womb he was chosen to be
a forerunner of Jesus Christ. He was the one predicted by the prophets – the
new Elijah who prepared the way for Jesus’ mission on earth – the ultimate
revelation of God in human flesh. He preceded Jesus in life, in ministry, and,
as we see in Mark’s Gospel, his death at the hands of those he invited to
repent and return to the path to God’s Kingdom.
In his martyrdom St. John the Baptist shared
in Christ’s victory. Victory? One might think that being beheaded by a lecherous,
hedonistic, and sadistic ruler like Herod was not a victory. Yet, as St. Paul
points out in his First Letter to the Corinthians, Jesus used the cross to
redefine victory. His death became a defeat for death for all who lay aside the
wisdom of the world and have faith.
And what practical lesson do we take away
from this “redefinition”; this incredible act that defies the wisdom of the
world and changes the perspective of those struggling to know God? First, with
intense humility, we thank God for giving us the faith needed to understand how
his love expressed itself through the sacrifice of His Son; foreshadowed by St.
John’s own death. We see in the events that unfold in the Gospel that we must
not expect the world to welcome the love we offer as followers of Christ. We know Jesus obediently followed St. John in
death at the hands of his captors.
We thank God for the examples of St. John the
Baptist and all the Saints who have gone before us in faith for their examples
of heroic fidelity to the Lord and their unswerving dedication to passing on
the message they were given. We pray today that our own examples of faith will
give encouragement to our brothers and sisters who, like St. John, are
persecuted for their faith and demonstrate for those who have not heard the
Lord’s call that his hand is our-stretched to them as well.
Pax
[2]
The picture is “ Beheading of Saint John the Baptist” (detail) by Caravaggio,
1608
[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the
Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This
re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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