She had an opportunity one day

Heb 13,1-8; Ps 26; Mk 6,14-29
8 FEBRUARY

When Satan rules a heart, he knows how to exploit every moment of history to succeed in his work of death. He knows how to govern his thoughts, directing them all to the fulfilment of his will. Whoever wishes not to be manipulated and exploited by the prince of darkness must pay all attention to remain entirely under the government and the motion of the Holy Spirit. This happens if he lives and dwells in the Word of Jesus. Herodias is a wicked woman. She decided the death of John the Baptist. Her thoughts of death do not find support on Herod. This is afraid of depriving one of God’s prophets of life. She knows how to wait. Surely Satan will give her a strong hand so that her death wish will be satisfied. The auspicious day comes. Herod lets the light of his reason to be lost before the daughter of Herodias, who performs an impure and lascivious dance. Among concupiscent fumes and bad desires, he makes her a foolish and insipid oath. He promises to grant her anything she would have asked. Even half of his kingdom. Satan directs her daughter so that she lets herself be advised by her mother. The mother advises her to ask for the head of John the Baptist. With this request, the daughter also reveals all her folly. She could have had half the kingdom, but she is content with a head of a dead man that will not do any good to her, except to satisfy her mother’s thirst for hatred. As the Holy Spirit is the Creator of communion in good, in truth, in justice and in holiness. Thus Satan is the fomenter of concord in wickedness, hatred, concupiscence, vice and all sorts of evil. When there is harmony in evil, then Satan manifests his government there.
King Herod heard about it, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.” But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.” Herod was the one who had John 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 harboured 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’s 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.
Can we escape the influence of Satan? Can we escape from his government that directs our thoughts to seek agreement in evil with every other man? One can escape only on one condition: that he comes out of his kingdom, his dominion and his empire, which is the kingdom of sin and vice and that he hands himself entirely over to the kingdom of Christ in his thoughts, will, feelings, body, soul and spirit. He surrenders to the kingdom of Christ the Lord, abiding in his Word. It is in the Word of the Gospel that Satan has no power. But he has the power to tempt us so that we come out of the Word. If we fall into his temptation, it is the end for us. He will do everything, he will put all his shrewdness, to make us agree in falseness, in wickedness, in injustice, in hatred and in every other evil. Our life is either governed by the Holy Spirit in truth and justice or it is ruled by Satan in falsity and injustice.
Mother of God, Angels and Saints, do not allow us to leave the Gospel. It is our end.