Saturday 1st August, 2009
ST ALPHONSUS LIGUORI. Leviticus 25:1, 8-17. O God, let all the nations praise you!—Ps 66(67):2-3, 5, 7-8. Matthew 14:1-12.


  
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He ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison.

Herod was a man with a guilty conscience. In the midst of this, John the Baptist did not back away from challenging others, including Herod and his relatives. Rather than change his message to accommodate the king, John was willing to go to prison and ultimately die for what he believed in.

John’s faithfulness to be true to God should inspire us today when we are tempted to seek revenge. The same vengefulness displayed by Herod and Herodias often destroys lives today. And through vengeance people often resort to desperate measures. It destroys families and relationships. With the death of John the Baptist, it initially appears that evil was the winner. But the apparent success of revenge is fleeting. Are we ready to stand for Jesus and for his truth?