21st Week in Ordinary Time : Tuesday 29th August 2023

A strange fact about humans is that we are haunted by both sin and goodness. Herod was an odd mixture. He feared and respected John at the same time. He dreaded John’s tongue while, at the same time he found pleasure in listening to him. He acted on impulse. A person should never, by self-indulgence, get into a state of losing the power of judgement and be liable to do things which may be regretted later.

Herodias shows us what an embittered woman can do. Jewish Rabbis had a saying: “When a good woman marries a bad man, she can change him for good, while a bad woman can change a good man into a bad one.” John the Baptist was a man of courage. He preferred death to falsehood; he lived and died for truth. He was a person who brought the Word of God to people and acted as their conscience.

Most of us fall into one of several categories. We are not sure what is right and cannot decide for ourselves, too proud and ignorant to accept and change. We should strive to be humble and courageous in standing for the truth.

God, our Father, give us the courage to witness and stand for the truth.