THE MARTYRDOM OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

Mk 6:17-29

Today we commemorate the martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist. The Gospel gives a description of how he was killed during a banquet; the celebration of king Herod’s birthday. In this environment of the feast, admiring the dance of a young girl, King Herod makes a promise by oath to that girl to ask whatever she wants. And the head of John was presented to her on a platter as a reward for her dancing skills.

The drunken oath of the king with a shallow sense of honor, the seductive dance of the young girl and the hateful heart of the queen combined together brought about the martyrdom of John the Baptist. But why this feast of the beheading of John? Why do we celebrate this feast? We all know that St. John the Baptist is seen as the last prophet of the Old Testament and the first prophet of the New, St. John has always been an icon of one who not only spoke the truth but also challenged his hearers with a call to action. He knew that truth always demanded a decision.

On this feast day, as we focus on the martyrdom, the beheading of John. We contemplate true discipleship. John the Baptist died for the faith for which he lived. The work of his heralding the good news and of calling to righteousness cost him his life. St. John's martyrdom reminds us that the most important vocation for all Christians is being faithful disciples, living out the Gospel. We are called to proclaim the Good News of Christ both in words and deeds, which sometimes can put us in some tense situations.

This feast reminds us that the Gospel can become provocative especially today as we know how our culture is moving farther and farther away from core values of moral living. This feast of the martyrdom of John the Baptist invites us to have the courage to tell the truth of God’s morality to people around us despite the ridicule and rejection for doing so. But the tendency among many of us Christians is to “play it safe,” to “keep one’s mouth shut,” to “not offend folks around us,” to “keep peace in the family.” Most of times we first check the wind of public opinion before saying something. We hide the truth because it will hurt. St. John's life and death is a reminder of our true vocation as Christ's followers. May God help us to live this vocation.