Today's Gospel calls to mind the martyrdom of st John the Baptist. First of all, although darkness can sometimes have its way. But its victory is always temporary. Goodness will always triumph because Almighty God is good, and a great reminder that we belong to Almighty God in Christ. The light will always dispel the forces of darkness because the soul remains in tact. The Lord says: what profit it is to gain the whole world but to lose ones soul. The soul of St John remains intact.
Secondly, King Herod could've easily said no to the request of John's head. But he didn't want to lose face among his courtiers. Even when the soul makes a mistake, it's important to embrace the virtue of humility. To seek the Sacrament of Penance. To examine ones conscious, admit fault, seek mercy and pardon from Almighty God. Someone once said: there is never a wrong time to do what is right.
Thirdly, because this passage is preserved, and also for our own spiritual growth, that means that standing for the truth always has a price. In the case of John the Baptizer, it was his head on a platter. It doesn't mean simply to hit the truth on someone's head. Because it has to be balanced with charity. Pope Benedict XVI once wrote the encyclical called Caritatis in Vertitate, which means charity in Truth. In other words, telling the truth alone without charity is being cold and disingenuous. Charity alone without truth has no substance and open to moral relativism.
Praise be to Almighty God for ordering all of creation, sustaining the Church with the light of Christ and giving hope knowing that goodness will always be victorious and triumph. Praise be the Holy Name.
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