Reading 1
We instruct you, brothers and sisters,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to shun any brother
who walks in a disorderly way
and not according to the tradition they received from us.
For you know how one must imitate us.
For we did not act in a disorderly way among you,
nor did we eat food received free from anyone.
On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked,
so as not to burden any of you.
Not that we do not have the right.
Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you,
so that you might imitate us.
In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that
if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.
May the Lord of peace himself
give you peace at all times and in every way.
The Lord be with all of you.
This greeting is in my own hand, Paul’s.
This is the sign in every letter; this is how I write.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.
Gospel
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.
Fr. Anthony Dinh Minh Tien, O.P.
I. THEME: Discipline is necessary for human life.
Human beings are different with animals because they know how to think and to master their acts. Animals don’t have intellectual faculties so they act according to their natural instinct. To fulfill their natural instinct, human beings need to think and to live according to the truth; if not, they lower themselves as animals and cause many damages to others.
Today readings show us some examples of those who didn’t live according to their human vocation. In the first reading, St. Paul advised his faithful to avoid those who acted disorderly and to imitate him in living a disciplined and hard-working life. In the Gospel, St. Mark reported a story contained of three immoral characters. They united in taking John Baptist’s head because he prevented them to marry each other.
II. ANALYSIS:
1/ Reading I: A disciplined life
1.1/ The necessary of a disciplined life: Success or failure in both spiritual or material life depend on one’s disciplined life and self-mastered attitude in any situation. A disciplined person shall never let others or difficulties prevent his work; in opposition, he shall find all possible ways to overcome obstacles in life. St. Paul is the model of discipline; he knew the effects of the undisciplined people on his faithful, so he reminded them, “We instruct you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us. For you know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you.”
1.2/ The necessary of laboring: In order to live, people need to eat; and to have food to eat, people must work. The priests who work in the temple don’t have to work as others because they spend all of their time to serve God and others; these people have a right to be fed from their faithful. This right is fair because they also work to build up the spiritual life of the faithful; it is only unfair when they don’t fulfill their duty. St. Paul had a right for a priest, but he didn’t use it; he worked night and day to set a good example for his faithful. He explained, “nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us.”
He gave them an order, “if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.” This is just to those who have ability to work. Some lazy people argue “it is better to eat and not to work,” or “it is wiser to work less and to eat more.” These people are not only lazy, they also use their free time to sin, to slander and to interfere with others’ business. There is a reason behind this saying, “To be idle is the mother of all sins.”
1.3/ The reactions of those who work hard: When seeing those who didn’t work but also harvest, sometimes harvest wholly other’s effort, those who work hard might be angry because of injustice. Some of these actions might happen:
(1) The normal reaction is that they shall find a way to teach these people a lesson or to tell them the truth. This reaction shall make them to lose peace if they are opposed and get the unwanted results.
(2) Another reaction is to lose heart, and then to discontinue to do good works. This reaction shouldn’t happen because one let other have influence on one’s life.
(3) St. Paul’s reaction: He shall advise them. If it doesn’t have a good result, let them alone and find peace in God because “the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.” Moreover, we don’t worry about injustice because God shall judge them; nothing hidden shall not be revealed. They can hide from all people, but can’t hide from God who sees through their mind and heart.
2/ Gospel: John Baptist died to witness for the truth.
2.1/ So the tree, so the fruit: Looking into Herode’s family, one can see that the devil dominated this family. Herode the Great had five wives: Cleopatra of Jerusalem, Doris, Mariamne of Hasmonean, Mariamne of Boethusian, and Malthake. He himself killed three of his sons: Antipater, Doris’ son, Alexander and Aristobulus, Mariamne of Hasmomean’s sons. Incest happened when Herodias, Aristobulus’ daughter, married Philip, her uncle; and then she married Herode Antipas, Philip’s young brother, as reported in today reading. Another incest happened when Salome, Herodias’ daughter in this passage married Philip, Cleopatra’s son.
2.2/ The different ways of life:
(1) Tetrarch Herode Antipas: Inherited an immoral and wicked character of his father, he didn’t have a disciplined life. He sent his people to arrest John Baptist and to bind him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 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.
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.” Followed her mother’s instruction, she asked him, “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.”
(2) Herodias and Salome: They lived and witnessed for falsity. Herodias harbored a grudge against John Baptist and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. When the opportunity came through her daughter’s question: “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.”
(3) John Baptist: He lived and witnessed for the truth. He didn’t pay attention to all material things such as fame or power, but only to prepare people to repent from their sins and to welcome Christ and his salvation.
III. APPLICATION IN LIFE:
– We must have a disciplined life if we want to be successful in all spiritual and material tasks.
– As long as we have ability to work, we need to labor to earn our living and to contribute in the development of our family and society.
– We need to be truthful during working; we can hide from people, but can’t deceive God who fathoms everything.
OTHER READINGS
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