My youngest son is starting college and I pray I have taught him the ability to behave, especially through prayer, reflection and discernment.  And given an unfortunate situation of backing himself into a corner, I pray that he would be confident in the Lord and rely on wisdom and truth.  This is what Herod encountered with John the Baptist in today’s Gospel reading.  Herod didn’t want John the Baptist killed, but his pride got in the way after he promised Herodias’ daughter anything she wanted.  Sadly, Herod felt he had nowhere else to turn and had John the Baptist beheaded.

Besides Jesus, Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians gives us a good choice by imitating him/them as role models.  Oh, to be in college again.  Let us all ‘shun…disorderly way[s]’ so we can live in ‘peace at all times and in every way.’