Information about the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist[1]
Readings for the Memorial of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist[2][3]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible (for Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time)
Commentary:
Reading 1: 1 Corinthians 1:17-25
This passage from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians begins with an announcement of his own mission – to proclaim the “unvarnished” truth of the Gospel “…not with the wisdom of human eloquence”.
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.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
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.
Gospel: Mark 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.
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 came to save.
Readings for the Memorial of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist[2][3]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible (for Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time)
Commentary:
Reading 1: 1 Corinthians 1:17-25
This passage from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians begins with an announcement of his own mission – to proclaim the “unvarnished” truth of the Gospel “…not with the wisdom of human eloquence”.
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.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
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.
Gospel: Mark 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.
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 came to save.
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 Christ 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 who 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
[1] The picture today is The Beheading of John the Baptist by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, 1610
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
[3] Note – the first reading from 1 Corinthians and the Psalm with its response are taken from the proper of the season (Friday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time # 429). The Gospel from Mark is taken from the proper of the day (Memorial of the Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist #624).
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