Readings: Jeremiah 26:11-16,24, Ps. 69:15-16,30-31,33-3, Matthew 14:1-12
“Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” (Matthew 14:3-4)
Truth is bitter; sometimes, it cuts deep like a sharp sword, forcing people to react. Jesus was rejected in his hometown because the people could not fathom the idea that the carpenter’s son they knew was God. Jeremiah also suffered persecution for daring to proclaim the truth at a time in Israel when idolatry was gradually replacing true religion.
In today’s Gospel passage, Matthew tells us about John the Baptist, whom Herod arrested for saying it was unlawful to marry his brother’s wife. Jeremiah and John the Baptist had something in common: they were not afraid of the establishment; they were not afraid of people; they spoke the truth; and they were willing to die in defence of the truth.
Jeremiah was a young prophet when he had to confront an assembly of priests and prophets far ahead of him. John the Baptist was also in his thirties, and he faced Herod, the king, to tell him it was not lawful for him to take his brother’s wife and live in an adulterous union.
Prophesying is not the same as giving a merely motivational speech. There is an aspect of prophecy that causes discomfort to its listeners. Preaching truth takes work. Anyone determined to take this path must be prepared for death.
Surprisingly, this persecution does not always come from unbelievers (outsiders to the faith). Persecution also comes from within, from those who appear closer to God. This is what we see in the case of Jeremiah. While the prophets and priests “sentenced him to death,” the princes (civil authorities) were the ones who came to Jeremiah’s defence. What an irony!
In our society today, there are many Herods who believe they can do anything: take any woman or man they want, tell any lie, steal any amount they wish to, etc. They even brag, saying nobody, not even the Supreme Court, can stop them. Like Herod, they may kill the body, but they can never kill the truth.
St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori was a key leader in the Catholic Church, known for being a Bishop, a Doctor of the Church, and the founder of the Redemptorist Congregation. He was born on 27 September 1696, near Naples, Italy, as the oldest of seven children in a faithful family. A gifted child, he earned his doctorate by the age of sixteen and started practising law at nineteen.
However, a profound spiritual experience at the Hospital for Incurables on 28 August 1723 caused him to leave his legal career and pursue the priesthood. He was ordained on 21 December 1726, and began his pastoral work in Naples. In 1732, he established the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and obtained Papal approval for his male and female congregations in 1749 and 1750.
He was beatified in 1816, canonised in 1839, and named a Doctor of the Church in 1871. His extensive writings, such as ‘Moral Theology’ and ‘Glories of Mary,’ continue to be influential.
Let us pray: O God, who constantly raises in your Church new examples of virtue, grant that we may follow so closely in the footsteps of the Bishop Saint Alphonsus in his zeal for souls as to attain the same rewards that are his in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saint Alphonsus Mary de’ Liguori, Bishop, Doctor. Liturgical Colour: White. Bible Study: Jeremiah 26:11-16,24, Ps. 69:15-16,30-31,33-3, Matthew 14:1-12)
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu