King Herod Respected John The Baptist

"King Herod also heard about JESUS, because HIS name had become well-known.  Some people said, 'John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in HIM.'  Others thought, 'HE is Elijah,' and others, 'HE is a prophet like the prophets of times past.'  When Herod was told of this, he thought, 'I had John beheaded; yet, he has risen from the dead!'

For this is what had happened: Herod had ordered John to be arrested; and had had him bound and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip.  Herod had married her; and John had told him, 'It is not right for you to live with your brother's wife.'  So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him; but she could not, because Herod respected John.  He knew John to be an upright and holy man, and kept him safe.  And he liked listening to him; although he became very disturbed whenever he heard him.

Herodias had her chance on Herod's birthday, when he gave a dinner for all the senior government officials, military chiefs, and the leaders of Galilee.  On that occasion, the daughter of Herodias came in and danced; and she delighted Herod and his guests.  The king said to the girl, 'Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you.'  And he went so far as to say with many oaths, 'I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.'  She went out and said to her mother, 'What shall I ask for?'  The mother replied, 'The head of John the Baptist.'  The girl hurried to the king and made her request, 'I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist, here and now, on a dish.'

The king was very displeased, but he would not refuse in front of his guests because of his oaths.  So he sent one of the bodyguards, with orders to bring John's head.  He went and beheaded John in prison; then he brought it to the girl.  And the girl gave it to her mother.  When John's disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and buried it." - Mark 6:14-29 

(King Herod.  This refers to Herod Antipas, son of the other Herod who reigned when JESUS was born.

King Herod respected John, but he was prisoner of his milieu and of his vices.  As king of Galilee, his misconduct constituted a public counter-witness.

All through the Scriptures we see prophets stressing the particular responsibility of those who wield power.  If they have to lead the poeople, they must be, by the rectitude of their life, an example; John the Baptist could not speak of justice without reproaching Herod for his infidelity.)

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David's Testament

"When David is about to die, he gave his son Solomon this instruction, 'I am about to go the way of all creatures.  Be strong and show yourself a man.  Keep the commandments of YAHWEH your GOD and walk in HIS ways.  Keep HIS statutes, HIS commands, HIS ordinances and declarations written in the law of Moses, that you may succeed in whatever you do and wherever you go.  If you do so, YAHWEH will fulfill the promise HE made to me: 'If your sons take care to walk before me faithfully with their whole heart and their whole soul, you shall always have one of your descendants on the throne of Israel.'

Now you know what Joab, the son of Zeruiah did to me--how he dealt with the two commanders of Israel's armies, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether.  These two he murdered, avenging, in time of peace, blood which had been shed in time of war.  He has thus stained with innocent blood the belt I wear and the sandals on my feet.  Act wisely, his blood must be shed before he dies of old age.  As to the sons of Barzillai, the Gileadite, deal kindly with them and let them be among those who eat at your table, for they themselves treated me with similar kindness when I fled from your brother Absalom.

With you also is Shimei, son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim who cursed me terribly the day I fled to Mahanaim.  When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by YAHWEH, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.'  Now therefore, you, being a wise man, shall not hold him guiltless.  You will know what to do with him: his blood must be shed before he dies of old age.'

Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David.  David reigned over Israel for forty years: seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.  So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father and his reign was firmly established." - 1 Kings 2:1-12 

King David And Son Solomon

(At the end of his life, David, who had already lost two sons in the pursuit of power [see 2 Samuel 3:2], chooses the wife whose son would be heir to the throne.  Bathsheba is therefore designated [1 Kings 1:17] as queen-mother and her son Solomon is to reign in place of his father David.  From this day onward, aware of the importance of the Davidic dynasty in the history of salvation, the Books of Kings mention for each reign the wife who will be appointed queen-mother and whose son will be enthroned in Jerusalem [this was not done for the king of Israel in the dissident kingdom].  When JESUS, the true descendant of David comes, the Gospel reveals the woman chosen among all, the mother whom GOD, in HIS sovereign authority, has destined to give birth to the Son and Heir [Luke 1:31, 42; Hebrews 1:2].

Keep the commandments of YAHWEH your GOD.  This is the wisdom of the prophets: if the king and his people fulfill these laws, they will be prosperous.

Joab... Shimei...  David had pardoned them; why did he now ask Solomon to kill them?  This has nothing to do with David's holding grudges against them but rather with his being as superstitious as the people of his time.  For them, the curse uttered by Shimei [2 Samuel 16:6] [or by anyone else] remains active and can suddenly fall on David's descendants.  The most effective way to prevent the curse from harming them is to have it fall on Shimei himself and thus spare David's descendants.  In the same way, the blood shed by Joab [2 Samuel 3:28] cries to heaven, and it is better to eliminate him so that GOD's justice  may fall on him and not on David's children.) 

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The Joy Of Being Forgiven

"Blessed is the one whose sin is forgiven,

whose iniquity is wiped away.

Blessed are those in whom YAHWEH sees no guilt

and in whose spirit is found no deceit.

When I kept my sin secret,

my body wasted away;

I was moaning all day long.

YOUR hand, day and night, lay heavy upon me;

draining my strength, parching my heart,

as in the heat of a summer drought.

Then I made known to YOU my sin

and uncovered before YOU my fault,

saying to myself

'To YAHWEH I will now confess my wrong.'

And YOU, YOU forgave my sin;

YOU removed my guilt.

So let the faithful ones pray

to YOU in time of distress;

the overflowing waters will not reach them.

YOU are my refuge;

YOU protect me from distress

and surround me with songs of deliverance."

- Psalm 32:1-7

(Perhaps it is unfair to call this a "penitential psalm" as the mood is more of joy than penance.  There may be a lesson here that the virtuous life is not a gloomy one.  Suppression and self-deception, as the psalm admits, never made for happiness.  Free acknowledgment of GOD and of ourselves is a duty, but it is also a health medicine.  This conclusion drawn by the psalmist, is followed by the voice of GOD confirming it.  GOD is anxious to lead us along this way.  We have only to be docile; HE will do the rest.

The psalmist reminds us of the power of confession.  It converts a guilty sinner into a pure and wholesome child of GOD.  JESUS died for the forgiveness of our sins and by HIS blood we are saved.  At the Eucharist, we acknowledge and confess our sins and in the sacrament, we confess individually and privately to convert ourselves into better human beings, to enable us to enter GOD's kingdom.

This psalm is for those who can say truly: "I confess to  GOD...")

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Loyalty In GOD's Service

"Listen, O YAHWEH, and answer me, for I am afflicted and needy.

Preserve my life, for I am GOD-fearing; save YOUR servant who trusts in YOU.

Have mercy on me, O YAHWEH, for I cry to YOU all day.

Bring joy to the soul of YOUR servant; for YOU, O YAHWEH, I lift up my soul.

You are good and forgiving, O YAHWEH, caring for those who call on YOU.

Listen, O YAHWEH, to my prayer, hear the voice of my pleading."

- Psalm 86:1-6

(This is a gentle psalm, a little muted in tone, without cries for help or loud shouts of anguish.  The psalmist, here, is making a sincere and true appeal to GOD to answer his prayer.

Whenever we live moments of anguish, whatever their cause, it will be good for us to confide our burden on another, on GOD, whose presence in this psalm, is comforting.  JESUS tells us in Matthew 11:24: 'Whatever you ask for in prayer full of faith, you will receive.'  We have this assurance from JESUS HIMSELF.  So, full of faith, let us also pray to GOD, for whatever we need, assured that it will be answered.)

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Confidence Under Persecution

"O YAHWEH, how great in number are my foes!

How numerous are they who rise against me!

How many are they who say of my soul:

'There is no help for him in GOD!'

But YOU are my shield, O YAHWEH,

my glory; YOU lift up my head.

Aloud I cry to YAHWEH,

and from HIS holy Hill HE answers me.

If I lie down to sleep,

again I awake, for YAHWEH supports me;

no fear of the thousands standing against me."

- Psalm 3:2-7

(The 'enemies' are always trying to undermine the psalmist's trust in GOD.  The psalmist sees their political or personal hostility as a test of his confidence in the shield that protects him.  It follows that though we and the psalmist have different enemies we are fighting in a common cause: to keep the supply-lines open between GOD and ourselves.  Difficulties from outside us and struggles within are not in themselves good things: they are only good challenges, opportunities, or urgent invitations to turn to the only place where help is to be found.

The psalm has a Christian projection in the exhortation of JESUS: "Do not be afraid.  I have conquered the world" [John 16:33].  No matter what the odds against him, with his undeniable faith in GOD, the Christian will be a winner.  The believer will thus be able to face the present-day adversities.)

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CHRIST Saves Us Through Sharing Flesh And Blood, And Human Destiny

"And because all those children share one same nature of flesh and blood, JESUS, likewise, had to share this nature.  This is why HIS death destroyed the one holding the power of death, that is the devil, and freed those who remained in bondage all their lifetime, because of the fear of death.

JESUS came, to take by the hand, not the angels but the human race.  So, HE had to be like HIS brothers and sisters, in every respect, in order to be the high priest, faithful to GOD and merciful to them, a priest, able to ask pardon, and atone for their sins.  Having been tested through suffering, HE is able to help those who are tested." - Hebrews 2:14-18 

(JESUS had to share this nature.  GOD uses human solidarity to save us.  CHRIST saves us through sharing flesh and blood, and human destiny.  In the same way, we are saved if we help in the liberation of the world, if we courageously accept our dependence on and solidarity with others.  To work side by side with others, to suffer and rejoice with them is a way of saving them.  We would like, at times, to escape our human condition and to be more independent: it seems to us that we would be better able to serve GOD, yet this dependence in the details of daily life is the means by which GOD wants us to take the human race by the hand.)

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A Deep Sense Of Sin Is Already A Step Toward The Sanctity Of GOD

"Create in me, O GOD, a pure heart;

give me a new and steadfast spirit.

Do not cast me out of YOUR presence

nor take YOUR holy spirit from me.

Give me again, the joy of YOUR salvation;

and sustain me, with a willing spirit.

Then I will show wrongdoers YOUR ways

and sinners will return to YOU.

Deliver me, O GOD, from the guilt of blood;

and of YOUR justice, I shall sing aloud.

O YAHWEH, open my lips.

and I will declare YOUR praise."

- Psalm 51:12-17

(It is good to pray with this psalm, when we feel overwhelmed by our guilt, be it against GOD or against our brothers and sisters, and we seek the goodness of GOD, who justifies us.

When we receive the sacrament of reconciliation, we meet JESUS HIMSELF, the Savior who intercedes, and the FATHER who pardons.  Each of our confessions is a joyful celebration of GOD's mercy and a source of renewal.)

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The Seed Growing By Itself

"JESUS also said, 'In the kingdom of GOD it is like this: a man scatters seed upon the soil.  Whether he is asleep or awake, be it day or night, the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.  The soil produces of itself; first, the blade; then, the ear; then the full grain in the ear.  And when it is ripe for harvesting, they take the sickle for the cutting: the time for the harvest has come.'" - Mark 4:26-29 

(In every period of time, people become impatient.  When will the kingdom of justice be realized?  Will violence and corruption soon come to an end?  JESUS answers: invisible forces are already at work; the world matures and the kingdom grows on.

How many seeds are cast to the wind?  A new style, a new song, a new device, a radio program.  Some seeds have grown and taken root, producing fruits that mobilize people.  Let us recognize the humble beginnings of the work of GOD: good willed people meeting together to solve a community problem; a gesture of kindness in a closed, unfriendly environment; a first attempt to smile at life after a great disappointment.  The seed grows, and the person who has welcomed the word walks more confidently on the path where GOD leads.)

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"You Waste Your Time If You Only Listen To ME Yet Do Not Allow What You Hear To Bear Fruit."

"JESUS also said to them, 'When the light comes, is it put under a basket or a bed?  Surely it is put on a lamp stand.  Whatever is hidden will be disclosed, and whatever is kept secret will be brought to light.  Listen then, if you have ears!'

And HE also said to them, 'Pay attention to what you hear.  In the measure you give, so shall you receive, and still more will be given to you.  For to the one who produces something, more will be given; and from him who does not produce anything, even what he has will be taken away from him.'" - Mark 4:21-25 

(Listen then, if you have ears.  JESUS warns us, "You waste your time if you only listen to ME yet do not allow what you hear to bear fruit.  The measure that you measure out will be the measure you receive.  That is to say, if you begin to act according to what you have learned, you will receive from GOD new strength and new knowledge.  If you do nothing, even your religious beliefs will be of no value to you, not even when you present yourself before GOD.  You read MY Gospel, but now challenge yourselves before you follow any further."

Whatever is hidden.  The word works secretly within the heart but when we discover the transformation that is at work in our life, we readily proclaim CHRIST and make known to others the secret that has made us happy [Ephesians 2:4; Colossians 3:3; Philippians 2:10].)

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The Mystery Of The Kingdom Of GOD Has Been Given To You

"When the crowd went away, some who were around HIM with the Twelve asked about the parables.

HE answered them, 'The mystery of the kingdom of GOD has been given to you.  But for those outside, everything comes in parables, so, that, the more they see, they don't perceive; the more they hear, they don't understand; otherwise they would be converted and pardoned.'" - Mark 4:10-12 

(The mystery of the kingdom of GOD has been given to you.  JESUS reminds the disciples who are there with HIM, receiving from HIM the word of GOD, that they owe it to GOD's grace.  GOD HIMSELF has chosen them to receive and transmit the proclamation of the kingdom.  Instead of pausing to ponder over such generosity, we might take the phrase in its opposite sense and ask: Has GOD then wished that others neither see nor understand?

The more they see, they don't perceive;...  This verse quotes an important text of Isaiah 6:9 which will be recalled in John 12:40 and Acts 28:26.  To understand, we must remember that the prophet used a grammatical form proper to Hebrew and difficult to translate into English.  More or less this is what GOD says to the prophet: "Harden their heart, speak so that listening they do not hear."  It should be understood in this way: "You will only succeed in hardening their heart, you will speak, but in fact they will listen without wanting to understand."  In no case does GOD wish anyone to be mistaken or remain in ignorance.

Everything comes in parables.  Those who have not been called to meet CHRIST, or who once called have refused, live in a world "outside," where they are not without the light of GOD, but such comes to them in "parables," which means through many intermediaries and human limitations.  The Gospel, then, brings light even to one who has not taken the step, but is adapted to its capacity, since such a person lives in a world of half-truths.)

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