 |
“Beheading of Saint John the Baptist” (detail)
by Caravaggio, 1608 |
Readings for Monday of the Twenty-second Week in
Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Note: for this memorial, the Gospel from the proper of
the saint is used.
Reading 1: 1
Corinthians 2:1-5
When I came to you, brothers
and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of
God, I did not come with sublimity
of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know
nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him
crucified. I came to you in weakness and
fear and much trembling, and my message and my
proclamation were not with persuasive
words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of
spirit and power, so that your faith might rest
not on human wisdom but on the power of God. -------------------------------------------Commentary on 1 Cor 2:1-5
The Apostle goes into an explanation of his
axiomatic expression: “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (1
Corinthians 1:25) The difficulty he had in proclaiming
his gospel in Athens using Hellenistic rhetoric (Acts
17:16-34) caused him to proclaim Christ to the
Corinthians in an unvarnished way, “Christ and him crucified.” Coming to
them in humility, he provides an example of faith based, not upon logic but
upon the spirit that goes beyond human wisdom. He offers this same “kenosis”
in Philippians 2:6-11.
-------------------------------------------Responsorial Psalm:
Psalm 119:97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102
R. (97) Lord, I love your commands.
How I love your law, O Lord! It is my meditation all the
day. R. Lord, I love your commands.
Your command has made me
wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. R. Lord, I love your commands.
I have more understanding
than all my teachers when your decrees are my
meditation. R. Lord, I love your commands.
I have more discernment than
the elders, because I observe your
precepts. R. Lord, I love your commands.
From every evil way I
withhold my feet, that I may keep your words. R. Lord, I love your commands.
From your ordinances I turn
not away, for you have instructed me. R. Lord, I love your commands.
-------------------------------------------Commentary on Ps 119:97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102
Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. Each of the eight verses
of the first strophe begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet
(aleph). Each verse of the second strophe begins with the second letter (beth),
and so on for all 22 letters of the alphabet.
The entire work is in praise of the Law, and the joys to be
found in keeping it. It is not "legalism" but a love and desire for
the word of God in Israel's Law, which is the expression of the Lord's
revelation of himself and his will for man. These particular verses focus on
the wisdom transmitted through the Law: “Your command has made me wiser than my
enemies.”
-------------------------------------------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 himand 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 inand 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 onceon a platter
the head of John the Baptist."The king was
deeply distressed,but because of
his oaths and the guestshe did not
wish to break his word to her.So he promptly
dispatched an executioner with ordersto 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.-------------------------------------------
Commentary
on Mk 6:17-29
The story of St. John the Baptist's 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.
CCC: Mk
6:17-29 523
-------------------------------------------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, in 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 those 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 outstretched to them
as well.
Pax
[1]
The picture is “Beheading of Saint John the Baptist” (detail) by Caravaggio,
1608.
[2]
S.S. Commemoratio
431/
634[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 republication
is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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