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“Beheading of Saint John the Baptist” (detail)
by Caravaggio, 1608 |
Readings for Thursday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Paul, called to be an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Sosthenes our brother,
to the Church of God that is in Corinth,
to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,
with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 1:1-9
This reading is the beginning of St. Paul’s first letter to the church he founded in Corinth. News has reached him of some issues within the community that must be addressed, as well as some external situations for which guidance must be given. In typical letter format, he gives thanks to God for the gift of faith given to this community and continues his fervent wish that they (and we) be steadfast in the faith: “He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” His introduction, emphasizing his own call as apostle, and the call each of the faithful has received, hints at the letter’s purpose.
CCC: 1 Cor 1:1-6 401; 1 Cor 1:2 752, 1695
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (1) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds
and declare your greatness.
They publish the fame of your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your justice.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
Psalm 145 is a hymn of praise. These strophes (because it is in the acrostic form, each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet) although loosely assembled, praise God for his mercy and compassion and give thanks for his creation and redemption
CCC: Ps 145:3 300
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Gospel: Mark 6:17-29
Herod was the one who had John the Baptist 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.
She 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.
Herodias' 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?"
She 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 6:17-29
The story of St. John the Baptist's 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'.
Both Herod and Pilot acknowledge the holiness of the ones they are to put to death. In both cases following the executions, faithful followers insure 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). 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:
Each day when we say our prayers, we pray for those who have not been vigilant, either because they were unwary, or because they chose to ignore Christ’s teachings, and have fallen into sin. We may even thank God, as we pray, that we have not fallen into that trap. But there is a danger, even for the most faithful. That danger is complacency.
Think about the soldier standing guard at a well-protected base. Each day he stands guard and each day he is reassured by the strength of the defenses around him. He thinks: “What enemy would be foolish enough to attack such a strong fortress?” As day follows day, he goes about his guard duty and becomes less and less vigilant, even though he is doing his duty faithfully. Then, when he has come to feel completely safe, the enemy attacks, and he is not ready for that assault and falls.
For the faithful, this is an apt analogy, and one to which the Gospel points. We must never take for granted that, because we love the Lord and do what we think is our best to follow him, the evil one will not find a way around our defenses and cause us to fall. He does it every day! He whispers in the ear of the most faithful, tempting them with rewards that on the surface may seem wholesome, but are in fact deadly to the spirit.
How do we avoid this complacency? Each day we must thoroughly inspect our defenses. We must look at our prayer and see that it is not self-serving, condescending, or rationalizing. We must measure ourselves against Jesus and the saints he has sent to inspire and guide us. We must always see the room for improvement that exists in all but Jesus himself. If we are daily striving to achieve that perfect end, we can never be satisfied with our progress, and never take for granted our assumed holiness.
Today we pray that we might never lose our vigilance and in doing so, open the door to the thief.
Pax
[1] The picture is
“Beheading of Saint John the Baptist” (detail) by Caravaggio, 1608.[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.
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