Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

 

“Salome with the Head of John the Baptist”
by Caravaggio, 1609

Readings for Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: Sirach 47:2-11
 
Like the choice fat of the sacred offerings,
so was David in Israel.
He made sport of lions as though they were kids,
and of bears, like lambs of the flock.
As a youth he slew the giant
and wiped out the people’s disgrace,
When his hand let fly the slingstone
that crushed the pride of Goliath.
Since he called upon the Most High God,
who gave strength to his right arm
To defeat the skilled warrior
and raise up the might of his people,
Therefore the women sang his praises,
and ascribed to him tens of thousands
and praised him when they blessed the Lord.
When he assumed the royal crown, he battled
and subdued the enemy on every side.
He destroyed the hostile Philistines
and shattered their power till our own day.
With his every deed he offered thanks
to God Most High, in words of praise.
With his whole being he loved his Maker
and daily had his praises sung;
He set singers before the altar and by their voices
he made sweet melodies,
He added beauty to the feasts
and solemnized the seasons of each year
So that when the Holy Name was praised,
before daybreak the sanctuary would resound.
The Lord forgave him his sins
and exalted his strength forever;
He conferred on him the rights of royalty
and established his throne in Israel.
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Commentary on Sir 47:2-11
 
This selection is part of the eulogy of Israel’s historical figures.  The son of Sirach uses lyric poetry to extol the virtues of King David in these verses, summarizing the great deeds attributed to him before he ascended to the throne and after.  The purpose of this section is to give Sirach’s students an appreciation for God’s plan of salvation.  He precedes this section with a brief mention of Nathan and follows it with a description of the virtues of Solomon (King David’s son).
 
"The eulogy of David recalls, above all, his love for God, which led him to give thanks for his victories, acknowledging that it was the Lord who made it possible for him to achieve them (cf. vv. 6-8). One expression of that love was the ends he went to ensure the splendor of the liturgy (cf. vv. 9-10); in this he (as Aaron before) anticipated the example that would later be set by the high priest Simon. As a reward for the care he took over the liturgy, the Lord showed him great kindness and took away his sins (v. 11)." [4]
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 18:31, 47 and 50, 51
 
R. (see 47b) Blessed be God my salvation!
 
God’s way is unerring,
the promise of the LORD is fire-tried;
he is a shield to all who take refuge in him.
R. Blessed be God my salvation!
 
The LORD live! And blessed be my Rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
Therefore will I proclaim you,
O LORD, among the nations,
and I will sing praise to your name.
R. Blessed be God my salvation!
 
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed,
to David and his posterity forever.
R. Blessed be God my salvation!
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Commentary on Ps 18:31, 47 and 50, 51
 
Psalm 18 is a hymn of thanksgiving for God’s salvation. While in its full form it is in thanks for victory following a physical battle, here we see that thanks given for heavenly aid in difficult situations.
 
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Gospel: Mark 6:14-29
 
King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread,
and people were saying,
“John the Baptist has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
Others were saying, “He is Elijah”;
still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.”
But when Herod learned of it, he said,
“It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”
 
Herod was the one who had John 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 him
and 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.
Herodias 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.
His own daughter came in and 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?”
Her mother 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 once on a platter
the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner
with orders to 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.
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Commentary on Mk 6:14-29
Mark’s account of the capture and execution of St. John the Baptist is presented in this pericope, or excerpt. We note the story has many similarities with Jesus’ encounter with Pilate later in the Gospel (Mark 15:1-47). Both Herod and Pilate acknowledge the holiness of the ones they are to put to death. In both cases following the executions, faithful followers ensure 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).
 
"Herod projects onto Jesus his bad conscience for the gruesome murder of John the Baptist, under circumstances that show the deep connection between tyrannical eros and wanton cruelty.  The detail of the Baptist's head being brought to Herodias and her daughter on a platter (Matthew 14:11) makes of Herod's birthday feast a kind of satanic eucharist, where lust rules instead of self-sacrificial love and which links Herod, Herodias, her daughter, and their minions and guests in a communion of evil.  For, do not all of these participate in Herod's sworn covenant, motivated by lust and resulting in murder?" [5]
 
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
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Reflection:
 
If we were unfamiliar with the saga of our Savior and were hearing this story for the first time, told as it was in the centuries following Jesus’ death, when the storyteller relates the death of St. John the Baptist, the audience would react with surprise.  It would have been clear to them that this eccentric prophet was a major player in the story of Jesus.  St. John had recognized Jesus before his birth. He knew who Jesus was when the Lord came to him to be baptized in the Jordan.  He must surely have recognized Jesus’ purpose in God’s plan as he languished in Herod’s prison.
 
Even before Salome’s dance, the Baptist knew his part of the story was done.  He had left clues for the careful listener.  He had said, “he must increase, I must decrease,” as the disciples of Jesus were baptizing at the Jordan (John 3:29-30).  Even so, some listeners might be shocked that one so mighty in God’s eyes would be killed in such a way, beheaded to satisfy the wicked vanity of a harlot.
 
The first-time listeners might have wondered then: if God sacrificed St. John in such a way, can the Son of God be headed for a happy ending?  There might have been some suspense. They may have been waiting to see if Jesus would strike down the evil Herod in revenge.  “Ah, but that was not the Lord’s way,” the storyteller would have explained.  Jesus was sad at the loss of his cousin, but remember, he came to forgive sin, not as the vengeful God understood by the Jews who only had the Law and Prophets.
 
We, in our time, hear the story of the death of St. John and are reminded (because we know the whole story) that Jesus too will suffer and die at the hands of such people.  We recall that it was for this purpose the Savior was sent into the world.  Today as we consider the roles of St. John the Baptist and the earlier role of King David, we might pause to consider our own part in God’s great plan.  What does he want from us?  What are we called to do in his name?  Can our ending be joyful or will we be called to follow the Baptist or even the Lord himself?
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Salome with the Head of John the Baptist” by Caravaggio, 1609.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[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.
[4] The Navarre Bible: “Wisdom Books,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 537.
[5] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume II, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2003 p. 349.