Gospel of the Day
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Mark 6:14–29
At that time, King Herod heard of Jesus, for His name had become well known. Some were saying,
‘John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’
Others said,
‘He is Elijah.’
Still others claimed,
‘He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’
But when Herod heard of it, he said,
‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’
For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because Herod had married her. John had been saying to Herod,
‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’
So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not, because Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard John speak, he was greatly puzzled, yet he liked to listen to him.
The opportune time came on Herod’s birthday when he gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl,
‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.’
And he swore an oath to her:
‘Whatever you ask I will give you, even up to half of my kingdom.’
She went out and said to her mother,
‘What shall I ask for?’
Her mother replied,
‘The head of John the Baptist.’
Immediately, she hurried back to the king with her request:
‘I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’
The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl, who then gave it to her mother.
When John’s disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Four Types of Conscience
It’s clear that Herod felt remorse over the death of John the Baptist. His guilt filled him with fear.
There are different types of remorse. The kind that comes from God leads us to openness and hope, offering a path forward. But the remorse that rejects God turns inward, bringing fear and despair instead of healing.
Herod did not recognise God, and because he couldn’t forgive himself, he remained tormented
Applying It to Married Life
Juan: Did you know there are four types of conscience?
Gema: Oh really? Which ones?
Juan:
1. The Blind Conscience – unaware of its own sin.
2. The Scrupulous Conscience – sees sin everywhere, even where there’s none.
3. The Pharisaic Conscience – harshly judges others while being lenient with oneself.
4. The Clear Conscience – has a realistic understanding of sin, its seriousness, and its consequences.
Gema: That’s really interesting. Which one do you think describes you?
Juan: I’d say the clear one, but leaning a bit towards the blind side. And you?
Gema: I’d say clear, but with a tendency towards scrupulosity. So, how do we educate our conscience?
Juan: Through formation, spiritual guidance, and especially frequent confession.
Gema: Of course. When we regularly experience God’s grace through confession, everything falls into place.
Mother,
How grateful we are to God for the miracle of the Sacrament of Confession, which opens us to hope. Praise be to the Lord forever.