Daily Retreat 08/29/07
2007 Aug 29 Wed:Martyrdom of John the Baptist M
1 Thes 2:9-13/ Ps 138(139):7-8. 9-10. 11-12ab/ Mk 6:17-29
From today’s readings: “We treated each one of you as a father treats his children, exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His Kingdom and glory.... You have searched me and you know me, Lord.... 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.... ”
The Allure of Hard Truth
Mark 6:20 is a particularly intriguing verse, commenting on Herod Antipas’ ambivalence toward John the Baptist: “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..” On the one hand, Herod had been the one to imprison John in the first place because he had spoken out against his immoral union with Herodias. But on the other hand, in spite of himself, Herod undeniably felt the attraction of John’s preaching of the truth.
Herod, of course, was a thoroughly wicked man and hated tyrant, and so it’s unpleasant to think that perhaps you and I share some of his character traits. Yet I think Herod’s ambivalence toward John is mirrored in many people’s ambivalence toward any agent of conscience that dares to clearly indict one of sin. For, although the first reaction generally is to shut up or shut out the troublesome charges, yet some interior force often stalks one with haunting reminders that the truth simply should not be ignored.
Although he was once drawn by that intrinsic allure of truth, Herod eventually compounded his sins when he was driven to behead the Baptist. But you and I still can yet avail ourselves of Christ’s grace, which would embolden us to not merely listen occasionally to the hard truth, but rather, to have the courage to repent of the reality of our sins and make the changes necessary in our own lives in order to get ahead virtuously!
1 Thes 2:9-13/ Ps 138(139):7-8. 9-10. 11-12ab/ Mk 6:17-29
From today’s readings: “We treated each one of you as a father treats his children, exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His Kingdom and glory.... You have searched me and you know me, Lord.... 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.... ”
The Allure of Hard Truth
Mark 6:20 is a particularly intriguing verse, commenting on Herod Antipas’ ambivalence toward John the Baptist: “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..” On the one hand, Herod had been the one to imprison John in the first place because he had spoken out against his immoral union with Herodias. But on the other hand, in spite of himself, Herod undeniably felt the attraction of John’s preaching of the truth.
Herod, of course, was a thoroughly wicked man and hated tyrant, and so it’s unpleasant to think that perhaps you and I share some of his character traits. Yet I think Herod’s ambivalence toward John is mirrored in many people’s ambivalence toward any agent of conscience that dares to clearly indict one of sin. For, although the first reaction generally is to shut up or shut out the troublesome charges, yet some interior force often stalks one with haunting reminders that the truth simply should not be ignored.
Although he was once drawn by that intrinsic allure of truth, Herod eventually compounded his sins when he was driven to behead the Baptist. But you and I still can yet avail ourselves of Christ’s grace, which would embolden us to not merely listen occasionally to the hard truth, but rather, to have the courage to repent of the reality of our sins and make the changes necessary in our own lives in order to get ahead virtuously!
posted by FrPitstick | 8/28/2007
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