Gospel

‘Herod sent and had John beheaded, and his disciples went and told Jesus.’
From the Gospel according to Matthew 14:1–12

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, and he said to his servants, ‘This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.’ For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been saying to him, ‘It is not lawful for you to have her.’ And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, ‘Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.’ And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.

The Gospel of the Lord

Fears

In this Gospel, two different attitudes that we can take towards life’s situations are set in contrast. We can act in freedom, defending the truth and fearlessly proclaiming God’s law before the world—not to condemn people, but to call them to conversion, as John the Baptist did. Or we can act as slaves to human fears, to our passions, to what others may think, like King Herod, who imprisoned John because he exposed his sin, and eventually had him killed, trapped by his own empty words, spoken merely to please his guests and avoid breaking the promise he had made in public.
Husbands and wives, these same two attitudes can also be lived out within marriage. When my spouse points out my sin and tells me that something is not right, I have two choices: I can acknowledge my weakness and, with God’s help, seek to change; or I can react like Herod, turning against my spouse and imprisoning them in my heart because I refuse to accept their correction, because I do not want to recognise or renounce my sin. When we seek our own comfort, our pride or the approval of others, we drift further and further away from truth and love. There may even come a point when our fears grow so great that they bring death to our sacrament, committing a sacrilege by trampling upon the very God who unites us and dwells between us. When, however, we allow Christ to reign in our hearts, we become capable of loving our spouse with fidelity, even when that demands self-denial or sacrifice. Which path will I choose?

Applied to Married Life:

At Luke and Louise’s home:
Luke: Louise, I don’t think these nights out with your friends are doing you any good.
Louise: I’ve told you a thousand times to leave me alone. I’ll do what I want. There’s nothing wrong with going out with my lifelong friends. It’s my life, so stop interfering.
Luke: But darling, they don’t seem to be bringing anything good into your life, and I can see they’re driving us further apart…
Louise: Do you know what? I’ve had enough of all this lecturing! That’s it! I’m not your slave. Tomorrow I’m leaving, and you can get on without me!

At Paul and Philippa’s home:
Paul: Philippa, I don’t think these nights out with your friends are doing you any good.
Philippa: I don’t think we’re doing anything wrong, but why do you say that?
Paul: I don’t think they’re bringing anything good into your life. You always seem unsettled when you come home, and I feel it’s driving us further apart.
Philippa: To be honest, we do have a great time, but we almost always end up speaking badly about our husbands… You’re right, I can see that it’s not doing me any good. And if it’s also drawing me away from you… thank you for telling me and for opening my eyes, Paul. You come first for me. I don’t want anything to come between us.

Mother,
teach us to love one another truly with the love of God, as Christ loves each one of us and loves His Church, with a gentle and humble heart, so that the flame of love in our marriage may never be extinguished. Blessed and glorious are You, Mother! Praised be the Lord for ever!