4TH FRIDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Mark 6:14-29) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
- NHA CHUA CHA
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
FIRST READING - Sir 47:2-11
"With his every deed he offered thanks to God Most High, in words of praise."
A reading from the Book of Sirach
2 Like the choice fat of sacred offerings,
so was David in Israel.
3 He played with lions as though they were young goats,
and with bears, like lambs of the flock.
4 As a youth he struck down the giant
and wiped out the people’s disgrace;
His hand let fly the slingstone
that shattered the pride of Goliath.
5 For he had called upon the Most High God,
who gave strength to his right arm
To defeat the skilled warrior
and establish the might of his people.
6 Therefore the women sang his praises
and honored him for “the tens of thousands.”
When he received the royal crown, he battled
7 and subdued the enemy on every side.
He campaigned against the hostile Philistines
and shattered their power till our own day.
8 With his every deed he offered thanks
to God Most High, in words of praise.
With his whole heart he loved his Maker
9 and daily had his praises sung;
10 He added beauty to the feasts
and solemnized the seasons of each year
09 With string music before the altar,
providing sweet melody for the psalms
10 So that when the Holy Name was praised,
before daybreak the sanctuary would resound.
11 The Lord forgave him his sins
and exalted his strength forever;
He conferred on him the rights of royalty
and established his throne in Israel.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mk 6:14-29
"It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up."
✠From the Gospel according to Mark
14 King Herod[a] heard about it, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” 15 Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.” 16 But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”
[b] 17 Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. 18 John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Herodias[c] harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. 20 Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. 21 She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. 22 Herodias’s own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.” 23 He even swore [many things] to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 26 The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. 27 So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. 28 He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
4TH FRIDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Mark 6:14-29)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear people of God,
In today’s Word of God, God speaks to all of humanity about the righteous way of Saint John the Baptist and how this led him to endure many trials and hardships during his earthly life. And God also makes known how a king, who leads the people, yet lacks justice, purity, and integrity, will have to render an account before God the Father.
God the Father does not want humanity fall into lifestyles of passion, sin, worldliness, hypocrisy, and deceit, which Satan has been and continues to tempt people with greatly.
God the Father wants people to be vigilant at all times and in all places.
Remain vigilant in every word, action, and deed; do not allow Satan to intervene and tempt us into committing sins and displeasing God the Father, as exemplified by King Herod.
It was precisely because of worldly passions, vicious habits, and human prestige, and bound by a mere promise made to a person, that King Herod failed to remain vigilant. He fell into Satan's snares and temptation, disobeying God's will: killing a great prophet who was profoundly just, righteous, pure, upright, good, and holy in the eyes of God the Father, namely Saint John the Baptist.
This event, recounted in the Holy Gospel, teaches humanity a lesson:
Be vigilant in both our words and deeds.
Do not be blinded or consumed by the fleeting gains of this world; do not let the passion for worldly prestige and power cause us to lose our very humanity.
Return to God the Father, abandon the path of sin, and live in reconciliation with Him.
God also calls upon His disciples in today’s world to imitate the courage of Saint John the Baptist, even when facing hardships, trials, persecution, death, and condemnation. He remained wholeheartedly committed to living a life of righteousness and holiness, faithful and loyal to the mission entrusted to him by God the Father.
Through that, God granted him eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven, and he was praised by God the Father as a great prophet of God, who went before to prepare the way for the Savior.
Today, as the disciples go forth to do God's missionary work, bringing God to all of humanity, do not be afraid or retreat in the face of hardships, trials, and persecution from the world.
Remember that God is the One Who can save both our souls and bodies, while neither mankind nor the world can give us eternal life.
Therefore, trust in God and obediently follow God's holy will as He teaches, courageously live and bear witness to God right here on earth, and fulfill the duty of being a prophet of God the Father.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Comments