Posted by The WORD in other words (2022) by Fr Jose Rizal Santos SVD – Japan
Thursday 25th Week in Ordinary Time
In the ancient history of Israel, royal autocracy was its only form of government ruled by Herod, the Tetrarch. The ancient Israelites were ruled and governed by none other than the tetrarch or the absolute monarch even though it was subjugated under the Roman Empire. It was commonly accepted without any substitute or a second-ranked ruler for the entire of Israel.
And yet some occasions seemed to have taken the notice of the tetrarch that some other great man may have gained more attention and popularity as well as a growing number of followers. Herod was greatly disturbed by this, and he tried everything to prove his identity even though he had already ordered the execution of John the Baptist.
Some people can’t stand the presence of another person as rival or competitor. They even feel degraded, and worse than that, would not give any room for fair competition and instead seek to annihilate or eliminate anyone who stands in the way of their governance. In a word, shrewd dictatorship. Herod absolutely believed that he alone ruled Israel and no one else.
Christ did not come to capture the minds and hearts of the people of Israel but taught them the love of God and neighbor even in grave danger and death. As his followers and by virtue of our baptism as children of God, we must learn to co-exist and live in harmony with humankind.
Our quest for eternal salvation is not a form of competition or contest; rather a collaboration and cooperation with the will of God, and concomitantly, to live in peace and harmony with one another beyond cultural or professional and social boundaries. Put simply, to love God above all else and our neighbor like ourselves.
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