“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”
Monday, 29th August 2016,
Twenty Second Week of Ordinary Time
Memorial of the Passion of St John the Baptist
1Cor 2: 1-5;
Ps 118: 97-102;
Mk 6:17-29
LET US STAND FOR TRUTH!
St John's martyrdom reminds us that the most important vocation for all Christians is living out the gospel. There is no doubt that John suffered imprisonment and chains as a witness to our Redeemer, whose forerunner he was. His persecutors, king Herod and Herodias had demanded not that he should deny Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth. But he couldn't remain silent. As a result he had to give his head to the executioner. He died for truth, he died for Christ. Does Christ not say: "I am the truth"! Therefore, because John shed his blood for the truth, he surely died for Christ.
Have we ever feared to do the right thing, or bear witness to our faith, or to stand for truth because we were concerned about what others might do or say? I would imagine that most of us have; it's something of a universal struggle. Teens struggle with peer pressure and give into various bad habits, sometimes even to the extent of ruining their life. Workers weigh the pros and cons about resisting a corrupt or unethical corporate culture. Public figures bow to opinion polls. We Christians are Christians only in name but not in our actions. It's all a matter of our conscience, versus our reputation. We have the example of King Herod. He knew that the right thing to do was to listen to John the Baptist and set him free. But he was afraid of what his guests might think. So against his better judgment, he delivered John to death. John paid a hard price, all because he made a hard choice to be faithful to his Lord and remained true to his conscience. John's witness is an inspiration to us to be courageous always in choosing to do the right thing. Sure, in some people's eye's we'll look like a fool; but in God's eyes, we'll look like a saint.
Prayer: Lord, make us bearers of the truth in word and deed. Amen.
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