Daily Reflection
August 29, 2025

In this reading from Mark, we listen to the events surrounding the beheading of John the Baptist. From scripture, we know much about John – we first hear of him prior to his birth!  We hear in Luke’s gospel (1:41) that John, in Elizabeth’s belly, “leaped for joy” greeting the Life within Mary’s belly.   This greeting as Mary shared her “good news” with Elizabeth.  We can imagine this joyous reunion of Mary and Elizabeth.  Try prayerfully imagining the greeting between Jesus and John.  We can imagine the cousins growing up as very special pals while their mothers carried on their blessed friendship.  Most is left to prayerful Ignatian imagination. 

Following John, we hear him announcing the coming of the Messiah.  Denying himself as the awaited Messiah, John spoke of himself as “not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal”. (John 1:27).  John was baptizing but all the while heralding the coming of the Messiah, Jesus.  We don’t hear much about their personal relationship.  Again, in prayerful Ignatian contemplation we can imagine what that might have been. 

All the while, Jesus is laying his hands on the lonely, lame, poor, men, women, children and all in-between.  People like you and me.  His proclaimed mission was to tell us of his loving devoted Father, our Father.  To show us how to love and to receive love.  When I consider myself and others, I can see how exhausting that may have been.  Learning to love and to receive love is a lifetime of practice.

Getting to today’s reading in Mark, we hear of Herod ordering the beheading of John the Baptist. Herod imprisoned John as he had been lecturing Herod on the sin of being married to his brother’s wife, Herodias. (This a tangled web of mortal desire, grudges, truth, fear, deception – all the elements of good scripture as well as good opera! In fact, there is one, Salome by Straus!)  According to Mark, “Herod feared John knowing he (John) was a righteous and holy man…When he (Herod) heard him, he was greatly perplexed; yet he liked to listen to him.” Herod, faithful to an ill-considered promise, ordered John’s head to be presented on a platter to his beautiful stepdaughter Salome. Her request came at the behest of her mother who hated John and wanted him dead! 

Where is the good news in this reading? I experience Herod as a sympathetic character.  In his heart he knows John to be a good and holy man.  Even though perplexed, Herod is drawn to John’s words .  Still, he is afraid of John. Out of fear Herod has John beheaded.  Was Herod afraid of what John could do to him if he was released?  Or was Herod more afraid of what his wife might do if he did not behead John?  Or was he most afraid of what his court, followers and citizens might do to him?  The battle of truth and fear.  How is it that we often instinctively recognize truth and yet cannot cleanse ourselves of fear.  The forever battle between truth and fear rages. 

I encourage us to accept Ignatius’ invitation to imaginative, contemplative prayer.  Using all of your senses, enter into this banquet scene and notice where you land and what you experience of the others and of the Holy Spirit, the Giver of all Truth and the cleanser of all fear.
Amen