Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Two Great Persons

Other Celebrations for this Day:

Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: I

Introduction

After we have heard in recent days the story of King David, Jesus Ben Sirach reinterprets for his time the personality of David: a valiant king whose power comes from God, a singer of psalms and an organizer of the liturgy, the covenant king to whom lasting kingship has been promised.

With the death of the Baptist ends the life of the last prophet of God of the Old Testament, who, as the hinge between the Old and the New Testaments, had prepared the way for the Lord’s coming. He died as a suffering servant of God, a new Elijah, who stood up to kings and infamous queens.

Opening Prayer

Lord, our God,
John the Baptist spoke without fear
to the high and the mighty,
that they too, were bound by God’s laws.
He risked his life for what is right and good.
Let him inspire us too
to let your word become flesh and blood in us
by taking the risks of our faith
and living as we believe.
Let this be the way in which we prepare
the fuller coming among us
of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

First Reading

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.

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!

Alleluia Verse

See Luke 8:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart,
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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.

Prayers of the Faithful

–          Lord, give us great men and women, even great children, to inspire all of us how to live our faith consistently, we pray:

–          Lord, you know how timid we are. Help us to take the Gospel of your Son Jesus, seriously by letting your Spirit give us the insight and courage of prophets, we pray:

–          Lord, you see how harsh we often are. Let the gentleness and compassion of good persons give us warm and understanding hearts, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
these are only simple gifts,
a piece of bread and a bit of wine.
Accept them and give us instead
your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through the Spirit and his fire,
change us, timid people
into signs to everyone and all
of your tenderness and mercy,
your justice and your peace,
that we may bring into our world
the life and message of Jesus, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

God of our hope and future,
your Spirit of wisdom and strength
was alive in Jesus, your Son.
Pour out the same Spirit on us too,

that we may bear witness today
to your faithfulness and love.

And give us always people inspired by you,
prophets like John the Baptist,
to wake us up when we are self-satisfied
and to inspire us to prepare the way
for the full coming of Jesus Christ,
our Savior and our Lord.

Blessing

Like John the Baptist, we can and should show others the road to Christ and prepare the way for his full coming. This will happen only if we ourselves take his Gospel seriously, if the Lord becomes visible in us, his goodness, his compassion, his love. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 

REFLECTIONS

 

“tied in a knot,"

Our words can imprison us and others so we should be careful about what we say. Today’s Gospel text says “The king regretted his promise.” One translation of the Bible says he was “tied in a knot,” a very graphic description. Our words have power to free us or enslave us.
It is inconceivable to believe that times really haven’t changed much, as we hear and read about the beheadings that still happen in our times. Herods and Herodias are still alive in our world. Many are beheaded just for professing their faith as a Christians. Journalists, and rights activists who expose the injustices of the powers that be are the modern-day prophets who risk their lives in the line of duty.
In the Genesis story, Adam blamed the woman for the sin and the woman blamed the snake for causing it. The blame game still continues while millions are being killed – Mighty nations manufacture weapons of mass destructions and sell them around the world and blame them for killing innocent lives! Who killed John? Was it Herod or Herodias?
John’s beheading, took place long ago and far away. But many more killings happen - not long ago and really not far away. In today’s world of instant communication we get to know them and see them instantly. Can we do something? Deplore the beheadings, the taking of any life. Pray for their families. Pray for our public leaders and those in positions of decision-making that they remain faithful to the principles of truth and justice. Support justice, peace and environmental groups. And above all, continue to live in awareness that we are truly one – all brothers and sisters on the beautiful planet we call home.

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Mark 6: 14-29

Guarding against the dangers of sensuality and fame

Sensuality can lead you to cut off the head of an innocent person.  We reflect on the life and martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, a man of unwavering faith and steadfast commitment to truth. His story teaches us about fame, sensuality, and the courage to defend our principles.

John’s mission to lead others to God brought him both admiration and hostility. His fame sparked curiosity but also envy and gossip. Like John, we too may face criticism or false judgments when living out our faith. Instead of dwelling on what others think, we are called to stay focused on our mission. Let us not allow the opinions of others to distract us from our purpose.

The tragic story of Herod and the dance of Herodias’ daughter reveals how fleeting desires can lead to devastating consequences. Herod’s lack of self-control caused the death of an innocent man. Unchecked sensuality could cloud judgment and lead us to harm ourselves and others. Let us guard our hearts, remaining vigilant against temptations that may pull us away from God’s truth and love.

John the Baptist stood firm in proclaiming the truth, even at the cost of his life. His martyrdom reminds us to prioritise truth over comfort, convenience, or approval. In our own lives, we are called to be witnesses to the truth, resisting fleeting desires and standing firm in the faith, even when it demands great sacrifice.

May we, like John, remain faithful to our principles. And as we journey forward, let us hold to the promise that something good is always on the way.

Guarding against the dangers of sensuality and fame - Youtube 

Copycats

René Girard, a cultural anthropologist, speaks of our desires being imitative: Because we have no idea what to desire, we copy the desire of others and end up in a mess. The daughter of Herodias has no idea what to ask for. So she runs to her mother, borrows her mother’s desire, and is left with a bleeding head! We squirm at her stupid choice as much as we grieve John’s loss of head. But aren’t we copycats as well? When God offers to fulfil our grandest desires (“How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” Lk 11:13) we end up looking to those on our left and right, copy their desires and ask: “Lord, give me a car; a job; lots of money; 15 minutes of fame.” What a shame! What a waste of an opportunity of a lifetime!

Reflection taken from Bible Diary 2022; written by Fr. Paulson Velyannoor, CMF

Coffee With God: Tongue can tie you in knots!

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