Word to the Wise
Saturday, August 3, 2024 - Saturday in the 17th Week in Ordinary Time
[Jer 26:11-16, 24 and Matt 14:1-12]"This man deserves death; he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears." [Jeremiah] "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." [Matthew]
Jeremiah called Jerusalem and its citizens to reform and repentance. John the Baptist criticized Herod for marrying his own sister-in-law. In both cases, prophets spoke against power and paid an ultimate price. The same thing would happen to Jesus. Prophetic voices are fated to be either unheard or unheeded. This is especially true when it comes to confronting the abuse of power on the part of political figures.
But this is not all ancient history. We might stop for a moment or two to recall prophetic voices in our own lives when a parent, friend or counselor warned us about conduct and attitudes on our part that could lead inevitably to disaster. The old saying comes to mind: There is none so blind as those who will not see. Have we ever been one of them? Or have we had to be the prophetic voice and watch helplessly as someone we have warned came to a sorrowful end? Or have we suffered when they turned against us with hostility because we spoke against whatever "power" had taken over in their lives and was leading them to tragedy? Jeremiah, John the Baptist and Jesus are there to stand in sympathy. AMEN
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