DGeMs- Daily Gospel eMessage
Dear Friend in the Lord,
“Proclaiming the God’s Truth” – Faith: In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist proclaimed the Truth about the immoral living of King Herod, at the cost of being beheaded. His fearless commitment to God’s Truth was far greater than protecting his life’s safety. Ponder on, “Do we witness the Gospel of Jesus courageously or do we accede to the secular world’s values of e.g. abortion?”
Fr Philip Heng, S.J.
Mark 6:18-20a,21-25a,26-27
John had told King Herod, ‘It is against the law for you to have your brother’s wife.’ As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him, but she was not able to do so, because Herod was in awe of John, knowing him to be a good and upright man, and gave him his protection.
An opportunity came on Herod’s birthday when he gave a banquet for the nobles of his court, for his army officers and for the leading figures in Galilee. When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me anything you like and I will give it you.’ And he swore her an oath, ‘I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.’
She went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the Baptist.’ The girl at once rushed back to the king and made her request. The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests; he was reluctant to break his word to her. At once the king sent one of the bodyguards with orders to bring John’s head.