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. ~Mk 6:17-19 The gospel for today's celebration of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ (Mk 6:17-29), is a stark reminder that our unwillingness to acknowledge and repent of our sinfulness wreaks havoc. Herodias harbored such a grudge against John the Baptist that he wanted to kill him. And the reason for Herodias' grudge? John had spoken the truth, which Herodias didn't want to hear because it meant he would have to change his sinful ways. Ah, a normal enough reaction, we might think, and so it is. None of us likes to hear that what we're doing is wrong. But if we're serious about living the Gospel and following our Lord Jesus in his way of the Cross, we must listen to the messengers whom God sends us as he sent John the Baptist to Herodias -- and then we must respond with the grace of conversion that God so graciously gives us.
On the matter of harboring grudges, I find that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the best place for me to bring them and to dispose of them. To harbor is to provide a place for someone or something. When I harbor a grudge, no matter how small it is, there is that much less space for Christ to dwell therein. When I let go of a grudge, I make room for Infinite Love and my heart overflows. In confession, I receive the grace to decrease so that Jesus may increase. Thanks be to God for his inestimable gift!
Dear St. John the Baptist, thank you for your willingness to speak the truth, no matter what the cost. Help me to be as courageous as you were, both in speaking the truth and in hearing it. And thank you so much, dear Lord, for the people in my life who love me enough to show me my faults and sins and to help me to repent of them. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment