Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist
Introduction
As a witness to integrity and the honest truth, John the Baptist lost his life to cunning and violence. But he had to speak, whatever the consequences. God’s word cannot be muzzled. Does the Church – do we – have this courage today?
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
St. John the Baptist
prepared and went the way of your Son
both in his birth and in his death.
He died a martyr’s death
because he stood up for integrity and truth.
Give us the courage, we pray you,
to speak out when needed
in the name of the gospel
and to bear witness in word and action
to Christ Jesus, our Lord.
First Reading: Jeremiah 1:17-19
The word of the LORD came to me thus:
Gird your loins;
stand up and tell them
all that I command you.
Be not crushed on their account,
as though I would leave you crushed before them;
For it is I this day
who have made you a fortified city,
A pillar of iron, a wall of brass,
against the whole land:
Against Judah's kings and princes,
against its priests and people.
They will fight against you, but not prevail over you,
for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.
R. (see 15ab) I will sing your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing your salvation.
For you are my hope, O LORD;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother's womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing your salvation.
Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
"It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers,
his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee.
Herodias' own daughter came in
and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
"Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore many things to her,
"I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom."
She went out and said to her mother,
"What shall I ask for?"
She replied, "The head of John the Baptist."
The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request,
"I want you to give me at once
on a platter the head of John the Baptist."
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders
to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Intercessions
– For missionaries and all who proclaim the faith, that their own lifestyle be a strong argument to follow Jesus Christ, we pray:
– For all apostles and prophets in the Church, that their personal encounter with the Lord may give them the power to speak for what is right and good, we pray:
– For us, that we may learn to care little for outward display but for the things that matter: honesty, justice and love, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
on the feast of your martyr John the Baptist
we bring bread and wine before you
to celebrate the memory of your Son.
Give us John’s courage,
to prepare and to be
a straight road to your Son.
May the message of our Christian living
not be a voice in the wilderness
but a humble way to Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
in a world of violence
we are easily afraid of bearing witness
to the good news of your Son.
We prefer prudence to courage.
Stir us up and move us forward
in the strength of this eucharist
to speak your word of justice and truth
and to abide by it,
that we may win the whole kingdom
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Let us, as Jesus recommends, pay attention first of all to the important matters of the law: to justice and mercy, faith and love. The rest will follow easily. May Almighty God bless you all, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Reflection
Preferring death to falsehood
God told Jeremiah not to be discouraged because of his adversaries but to stand up and speak, and God's power would protect him from being overpowered by them. Similarly, John emerged in the wilderness, proclaiming the truth and calling for repentance. Faithful to his prophetic mission, he did not fear those who sought to silence him but instead brought his voice of truth even to the king's doorstep.
John’s immutable convictions are valuable lessons for us. Living in the desert shaped John's spirituality, instilling in him qualities of depth, integrity, and courage. Throughout his life, he exemplified his prophetic calling through his profound prayer life, asceticism, and unwavering conviction in his purpose. No wonder he preferred death to falsehood.
The irony in Herod's killing of John the Baptist lies in the fact that Herod possessed power but lived in fear. He had authority but lacked options. John, on the contrary, was imprisoned but remained free. He was in chains but still had choices. Here we are today—thousands of years later and thousands of miles away—honouring the greatness of John the Baptist!
Each person in this World has a mission to fulfil. Some of us compromise our values or moral standards because we fear failure, losing face, or consequences. Taking God and one’s faith seriously and choosing holiness far outweighs any good or pleasure is the way John the Baptist courageously walked and, at the same time, the challenge he throws to the people of our time.
John’s death is a testament to the power of truth. The one who wields the power of truth is indeed the most powerful.
Hong Kong
