Word to the Wise
Friday, February 3, 2012 - Friday in the 4th Week in Ordinary Time
[Sir 47:2-11 and Mark 6:14-29]I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2012 FRIDAY IN THE FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
[Sirach 47:2-11 and Mark 6:14-29]
I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.
Occasionally the lectionary provides an unintentional moment of humor. Today is the feast of St. Blaise when many Catholics go to have their throats blessed! One may assume that blessing would apply to decapitations!
The gory request of the dancing girl, to whom tradition has given the name of Salome, brings an abrupt end to the life of the man whom Jesus considered to be one of the greatest people ever born! Yet, his martyrdom highlights the fate of most prophets. They are a threat and when powerful people are threatened, the results can be lethal. Thus, in life and in death, John the Baptist prefigured what would happen to Jesus. In the case of John the Baptist, the cause seems rather tawdry - a grudge held by Herod's wife!
Perhaps this story can challenge us to examine how we feel about prophetic people. Do we simply dismiss them as "rabble-rousers" and send the police to get them off the street? How do we feel about the "occupy Wall Street" folks? The role of the prophet is not simply to "predict" things, but rather to challenge us to be what we profess to be in faith. This means confrontation. Are we ready for that? Or do we simply say "Off with his/her head! AMEN
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