Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist
We often have to admit that God’s ways are not our ways. Sometimes God’s ways seem to derail our desires and best intentions but even make no sense from our perspective. That struggle to accept God’s ways can leave us weary and even wondering whether our God is a loving God. The worldwide pandemic seems to be but one more affliction on the back of those who truly desire to trust our loving God.
Our liturgical remembrance of the death of John the Baptist leads us down a path of questioning the ways of God. In his short life, John the Baptist became a towering figure doing the work of God. Jesus spoke of him as being the greatest of the prophets, and no man born of woman was greater than John the Baptist. Why was the pastoral potential of this great man cut short with the nonsensical rage of a woman’s revenge combined with a drunken ruler’s extravagant oath? The sadness of John’s followers who reverently buried his body was deep, but even more was the pain of Jesus who needed to take some time and space to sort out his human feelings.
The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 14, gives us an overview of how Jesus dealt with the death of John. The crowds were waiting for Jesus when he arrived at what was supposed to be a secluded place. Immediately He took pity on them, cured the sick, and fed them all with five loaves and two fish. The questions of why and normal grieving can and should lead us to a greater sensitivity to the needs of others. Jesus shows us how the mystery of a loss of any kind can take us into another mystery, the mystery of God’s abundance.
Reflection by Fr. Daniel Petsche, OSB
Posted in Articles for Lent, Daily Reflections, Lenten Resources