The Passion of St John the Baptist - 29 August
29th August 2024
Sacred Heart Catholic Church Inverell will be open from 11am to 12 Noon for those who wish to honour the memorial of The Passion of St John the Baptist in private prayer. 🙏
Matthew 14:3-13:
"Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for John had been saying to him: 'It is not lawful for you to have her.'
Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.
On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, 'Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.'
The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
When Jesus heard about John, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself."
A brief reflection by the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J Sheen:
“'The wicked fear the good, because the good are a constant reproach to their consciences. The ungodly like religion in the same way that they like lions, either dead or behind bars; they fear religion when it breaks loose and begins to challenge their consciences.
"Those ten months while John was in the prison below, he was also in the soul of Herodias, troubling it, disturbing her sleep, torturing her conscience, and haunting her dreams. She now resolved to get rid of him, thinking that if she could just do away with this moral representative of God, she could sin with impunity for the rest of her life. With one word to Salome, she would silence her own conscience, and her husband's, forever...Salome approached Herod...silence fell over the assembly; the food became tasteless, and even their hearts were sickened as the young girl asked Herod: 'Give me the head of John the Baptist; Give it to me here on a dish.'
"Herod was thrown into confusion because of his oath. He thought of all his past respect for the prophet; but at the same time, he was afraid of the taunts and the whispered jests of the guests if they should see him draw back from his promise. Unfaithful to God, to conscience, to himself, not ashamed of any crime but ashamed of public opinions, he decided to be faithful to his drunken oath.
"Herod called forward a few slaves. Torches were lighted. No one spoke as they heard the slaves descending the stairs...there was silence for a few seconds, broken by a sickening thud; then a slow march up the stairs...The slaves approached Herodias with the gory gift. She went to Salome, and Salome carried it across the dance floor and gave it to Herod on a golden platter, the bearded head of the Prophet of Fire.
"On that dark night, at the bidding of the child of an adulteress, Herod had murdered the forerunner of Christ...The herald had suffered the lot of the One Whom he heralded; the messenger received violence because he had announced the Message."
(Life of Christ)
Prayer for the Memorial of the Passion of St John the Baptist
O God, You raised up St John the Baptist to prepare a perfect people for Christ. Fill Your people with the joy of possessing His grace, and direct the minds of all the faithful in the way of peace and salvation. Grant that, as he was martyred for truth and justice, we may energetically profess our Faith in You, and lead others to the Way, the Truth, and Eternal Life.
St John the Baptist, by the example of your life of penance and the power of your word, you drew the multitudes in order to dispose them to receive the Messiah worthily and to listen to His heavenly doctrine. Help us to follow your example of a holy life so we may bring many souls to God, especially those souls enveloped in the darkness of error and ignorance. Amen. 🙏💖💐