You can read today’s readings right here http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080319.cfm
Saturday 17th week in Ordinary Time
Throughout this week we have heard many parables about the Kingdom of God and Heaven. Parables that related to pretty much each type of profession and livelihood Farming, Fishing, Commerce parables which like today speak to the people of the time as well as those today
Today we see a shift in the narrative. We hear about human weakness, righteousness and guilt. We end up seeing sins and its effect going throughout the story
Today we hear of the Death of John the Baptist. As we hear these depictions we have to recognize just how real these people are.
What is Herod Thinking?
Think about this… Herod hears about the deeds and miracles which were done by Jesus. Herod Antipas made the leap that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. That is an awfully big leap to make.
Something that Herod had heard or saw triggered memories of John in his mind. Perhaps just like when we hear a song of phrase we are immediately brought back to our wedding or High School dance
Why would John still be on his mind??? Well, we know John had the righteousness to stand up to Herod and say that his marriage to Herodias was unlawful. John was also quite popular with the citizens of galilee.
Don’t cross power
Well if you point out publically something being done wrong by someone in power and you are a threat to his ego…. It probably is not going to go well for you… But you are obliged to speak for the righteous way.
We can assume that Herod recognized that John was correct in his declaration that the marriage wasn’t lawful. We all know the story of Herod’s daughter’s dance which had him make a rash oath. This oath to his step daughter led to John’s ultimate demise. So Herod probably has guilt on his mind for both the marriage situation and now for making this rash oath which got John’s head cut off.
But this is still a pretty big leap to think that John had been raised from the dead. We can look to other sources to bring the final “memory” into the play here. We know that Jesus’ mother Mary was closely related to John’s mother Elizabeth. I look at pictures of my cousins and notice there are some strong resemblances between us. Even with the miraculous conception of Jesus, would there also be a resemblance between Jesus and John?
Ahh that’s the picture
Origen, a church Father, cited a tradition that the two of them looked quite alike… and if that tradition is true it certainly would catapult the idea into Herod’s mind that John indeed had been raised. Herod’s guilt eating away at him would bring him to make this leap.
Sin brings about its own punishment. This is a principal that guides us on our own path. The further we stay away from sin the less we need to worry. Herod did not stay away from sin… He stole away his brother’s wife. He killed the man who stood for righteousness. The end of Herod Antipas was not a good one… but one can see that he brought it on himself.
The end of Herodias and Herod
A number of years later, Herodias talked Herod into asking then Emperor Caligula to allow his area to become a kingdom. Other areas (in particular his brother Phillip) had been made Kingdoms. Herodias certainly liked the power being a queen would give her. The reality is that Herod (being a lazy man by nature) would have liked to have just ignored this and stay at home… but He allowed himself to be talked into this idea by Herodias. Phillip apparently spoke to the emperor and suggested that Antipas was planning to revolt against the Emperors seat. (Nice family huh?)
So Herod is holding onto Herodias, holding on to the sin he refused to get rid of, this then brought Herod Antipas to his final end… languishing in Gaul without money, power or a kingdom. He did have Herodias with him though, the one whose quest for power brought them both ruin.
Righteousness is Right On!
While Sin may have its own punishment, Righteousness has its own reward. Catholics have a foretaste of this reward at Mass and in particular the Eucharist. We are brought closer and closer to the perfection we are called to by God each time we practice our own righteousness. We are blessed to be here today… Let all our memories be of Christ and those in love with Him.