What captures my attention in this Gospel reading is the final line: “And he kept trying to see him.” Despite, or maybe because of, Herod’s order to execute John the Baptist, I imagine the Holy Spirit had not given up on him but continued to “prick” his conscience. Herod’s desire to meet Jesus of Nazareth suggests that something within him still longed for truth, still felt the pull of grace. I wonder how Herod’s life might have changed had he allowed himself to listen to God’s invitation. Instead, he clung to the life he knew rather than venturing into the unknown where God was waiting.
Herod is an example of a person enslaved by vanity—what Qoheleth calls a waste of effort, asking, “What profit has man from all the labor which he toils at under the sun?” His status gives him the power of life and death over everyone in his region, yet he is terrified of losing face. He fears shame: How would the other Roman tetrarchs perceive him? Would he lose his position, his fine house, his servants, his carefully constructed identity? In truth, he is not much different from people today, affirming Qoheleth’s claim that there is nothing new under the sun.
In my own humanity, I am not that different from Herod. I can fall into the trap of trusting what I think I own, forgetting that everything I have is a gift from God. I look without truly seeing the beauty and wonder of creation; I listen without hearing, sometimes because I resist a different opinion, sometimes because facing another’s suffering feels too heavy. A mindset of self-reliance or the illusion of control can take root in anyone. So, what are we to do? How can we change the dynamics of our individual lives and, in doing so, help transform the world?
Without help, we remain stuck—repeating the same patterns as our ancestors, patterns that future generations will repeat unless something breaks the cycle. But something has. Because Jesus entered our reality and chose to die for us, we have an Advocate who tirelessly draws us toward God. The Holy Spirit continues to nudge, stir, and awaken our hearts, just as I imagine happened in Herod’s. Grace keeps reaching for us, inviting us to step out of fear and into the freedom of God’s love. And when we finally allow ourselves to follow Jesus, we discover that the path we feared is the very path that brings life.
Reflection question: If I hear God’s voice today, how will I respond?
Gladyce Janky
I joined the School of Pharmacy and Health Profession as a chaplain in 2015, subsequently working in the Law and Graduate Schools and Heider College of Business. I continued working with distance graduate students after moving to Sun City, AZ, in 2021. I transitioned to my current life phase in July 2023, when I retired. I am a graduate of the CSP program with two master’s degrees and hold certificates in the History of the Ignatian Tradition and Spiritual Direction and Directed Retreats.
Writing reflections helps me break open the transformative power of scripture. The message is alive and relevant to me when I put myself into the story. Jesus is not just “back there.” He is here accompanying me. I share what I write with others to invite them to listen to how God is inviting them to greater spiritual freedom.
