(The readings are proper to the memoria)
First Reading - Jeremiah 1:17-19
Gospel - Mark 6:17-29
The first reading tells us about the commissioning of the task of proclamation of the message of God entrusted to Jeremiah. God commissions Jeremiah with a task of being the messanger of truth. At the same time, God also warns and assures Jeremiah. He warns Jeremiah of being opposed, rejected, and unheard by the people to whom he will be sent but assures him of His protecting presence to him. However, the demand of the call of Jeremiah underlined that he should be daring for a good purpose or for the sake of the wellbeing of the people. The call of Jeremiah, in short, means being daring for the sake of good cause so that people could realize their mistakes and amend their ways.
The gospel passage picturizes the mission and challenges of the call of Jeremiah in John the Baptist. John the Baptist, like Jeremiah, was confronted with a situation of being outspoken and truthful to his conscience. John the Baptist appears in the gospels as a person who speaks the truth daringly. He confronted the sinners and even leaders with courage and challenged them to the life of repentance. The same message of repentance was also directed to Herod and Herodias because Herod had married his brother's wife, who was still alive, which was unlawful according to the Jewish law. To cap it all, Herod also unlawfully divorced his legitimate wife, without any serious reason, just to marry Herodias. This immoral act of Herod was outrightly condemned by John the Baptist. It was outrageous for Herod, hence he wanted to kill him but was afraid of people. Unfortunately, it was on his birthday, Salomi, the daughter of Herodias, danced and impressed everyone. Consequently, the king promised her to give anything on her request. The girl, on the advise of her mother, asked for the head of John the Baptist. What a gruesome scene! However, this particular episode projects the stubbornness of Herod and Herodias to acknowledge their faults and change themselves. Though the truth spoken by John was stern and hurting but that didn't touch their hearts but emotions. As a result, they were minded to kill John and ultimately succeeded in that.
Dear friends, it's admitted that truth that is spoken on the face hurts tremendously but if the fault is admitted and transformation has taken place that failure becomes a lesson rather than remains in us as hurt feeling. The first reading reminds us that the call of Jeremiah was meant to remind people of their wrong doings and sins, so that they could return to God. We are also communicated the message of God through different ways, or through different readings, or through different people, we need to examine ourselves; how is our response to that message of God? Every new day is a sign that God gives us a new opportunity for the day to become better day by day. We can be also like Herod and Herodias who remained stubborn and refused to change themselves, though they knew their faults. Let's not be drowned in the mire of mistakes whereby we commit mistakes after mistakes like Herod and Herodias but find way out to begin anew everyday.
The readings also remind us that we should be grateful to the people who point out our shortcomings and failures because that gives us another chance to begin our life in a new way. However, if we try to justify ourselves even if knowing the mistakes that will never give us opportunity to begin in a new way. Perhaps, Herod and Herodias persisted in their mistakes because justified their actions rather than thinking of correcting themselves.
May God inspire us to see our failures and sins and return to God.
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