Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist
1st READING
We are sons and daughters of God. Our identity as His children is the basis of our dignity and who we are in His eyes and our own. Paul claims he is not a great orator and knows this does not matter, because the Gospel is inherent and convinces the individual of its truth. We just need to be faithful in both living and proclaiming it and leave the rest to the grace of God and the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (or Jeremiah 1:17-19)
26 Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, 28 and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, 29 so that no human being might boast before God. 30 It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.”
PSALM
Psalm 33:12-13, 18-19, 20-21 (or Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15, 17)
R: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
12 Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. 13 From heaven the Lord looks down; he sees all mankind. (R) 18 But see, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, 19 to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. (R) 20 Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield, 21 for in him our hearts rejoice; in his holy name we trust. (R)
GOSPEL
John the Baptist is a man of integrity. Even if it will displease Herod, John still told him the truth about his illicit marriage to his brother’s wife. This results in his martyrdom after a major flaw in Herod’s character is revealed—his lack of integrity and doing what he knows is wrong. Herod is weak and wants to please the people around him at the cost of John’s life.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Mark 6:17-29
17 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. 18 John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. 20 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. 21 She 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. 22 Herodias’s 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.” 23 He even swore many things to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 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.” 26 The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. 27 So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. 28 He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Reflect: “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” – Matthew 11:11
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T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
thank You, Lord, for:
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Read the Bible in one year - Psalms 12-25
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