Posted by The WORD in other words by Fr Chito Lorenzo SVD – Japan
Saturday 17th Week in Ordinary Time
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
John went after Herod with warnings, not with an accusation; he wanted him to mend his ways, not to perish; but Herod preferred to perish rather than to reform. Mercy is unbearable to the cruel, godliness to the ungodly, justice to the unjust.
The Evangelist attests to this when he says: “John kept saying: ‘It is not right for you to take the wife of your brother Philip.’” This is the reason why John runs afoul. The one who warns the wicked is considered offensive. The one who rebukes those who are at fault is deemed blameworthy.
What John said were not spoken out of hatred but out of love. But what kind of reward he received for his devotion from the ungodly one! Nevertheless, it is fitting for us to know both that John came to birth as a result of his death, and that Herod died as a result of how he spent his birthday. (From the “Fathers of the Church Series” published by Catholic University of America, Selected Sermons of St. Peter Chrysologus, Volume 3, Sermon 127, pgs. 187-191)
By virtue of our baptism, we have been given a prophetic role. There are instances when we have to speak the truth even when it is not convenient, or even with the danger of ending friendships. These are the times when we need courage like St. John the Baptist, a courage given by God who promises that he will not leave our side.
As my morals professor once said, “You might lose a friend, but you gain merit in heaven.” The truth is a moral imperative that at times demands sacrifice. May God always give us the strength to do his will.
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