Friday, Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

We are very familiar with the ways that power can be abused today. Herod Antipas was the most powerful man in Galilee and Herodias, his wife, the most powerful woman. John the Baptist had no power, as the world regards power. Yet, he was full of God’s power. God spoke powerfully through John the Baptist. John spoke the word of God fearlessly to those in power. When he rebuked Herod for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, Herod threw him in prison. Herodias would have gone further and wanted John killed. She hated John, but Herod had a more complex relationship with John. He knew John was a good and holy man; he recognized John as a man of God. He liked to listen to John proclaim God’s word, even though it left him perplexed at times. John was appealing to what was best in Herod. Yet, when Herod rashly promised Herodias’ daughter anything she wanted, Herodias exploited what she saw as an opportunity, getting her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist. This left Herod ‘deeply distressed’. To save face and keep his honour, he felt he had to grant his daughter’s request, even though it went against all his better instincts. As a result, his distress must have remained with him. We sometimes find ourselves in a similar situation to Herod. Our better instincts are pushing us in one direction, but we hesitate because it will involve some loss for us. However, the Lord promises us to be with us at such moments, helping us to take the path the Holy Spirit is prompting us to take. If we can be faithful to those promptings of the Spirit, those better instincts, then we will find that peace of mind and heart that eludes Herod in today’s gospel reading.