Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist
On this bright Tuesday morning, we are faced with the dark story of the Passion of St. John the Baptist. He was the forerunner and blood relative of the Lord Jesus who lived in the desert, preaching repentance and forgiveness of sins. He was “the voice” crying out: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths” (Mark 1:3; Isaiah 40:3).
He also cried out against the wrongdoing of Herod and his brother’s wife, Herodias. This was Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great who sought to snuff out the newborn King Jesus in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16). Now, the new Herod, coerced by his unlawful wife and her “grudge” against the prophet, continues his father’s iniquity of shedding righteous and innocent blood. Yet, the blood of this martyr, St. John the Baptist, only launched a new campaign of repentance and forgiveness: “This is the time of fulfillment,” Jesus said. “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).
The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians, as the church father, Tertullian, was known to say. We find this kind of result in many places in the New Testament—both in the sacred scriptures and in the sacred histories of the many churches down the centuries since the birth of Christ. We have only to think of St. Maximilian Kolbe or the thousands of lesser-known children, women, and men whose blood has been shed for the name of Christ or for the sake of righteousness. “Blessed are they!” Jesus said. “For theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).
For Today:
Let us pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world who are being persecuted. Let us live today for them, and think of all those who, in the hour of their passion, loved Jesus so much that they gave up their lives for Him.
Reflection by Br. Luke Kral, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time