WHAT SHALL I ASK FOR?

Jer 1,17-19; Ps 70; Mk 6,17-29
29 AUGUST
Those who want to protect themselves and being safeguarded from evil must never ally with evil. When evil is brought into one’s home, sooner or later it will have the upper hand over us. It is already difficult to overcome the evil that is in us and that comes from our hearts. To think of overcoming the evil that comes from outside us and that lives with us is extremely difficult, if not impossible. Then when evil tempts us and we let ourselves to be overcome, we “get married” with it, let no one even hope of being able to overcome it. It defeated us a first time and it will always defeat us. Victory will always be of evil, because we, abiding with evil, are deprived of the grace of the Lord, of his wisdom and of his light. If the Lord wanted to help us, he could not even do it. Evil takes him away from our heart.

Herod is king of Galilee. He married his brother’s wife. We do not know whether it was him who tempted her or she was the one who tempted him. Her wickedness suggests that Herodias was the one to tempt Herod. It was she who made him fall into temptation. This suggests to us that this woman possesses a diabolical technique. She knows how to rule a heart. With this source of evil introduced into his home, nothing good is expected for Herod. John the Baptist denounced the king’s adultery, telling him that he was not allowed to bring his brother’s wife into his house. He was not dead yet. His is true adultery and it is against the Law of the Lord. John is a prophet of ancient mould. Today the new prophets of the Church say that adultery is not a sin. One can live more uxorio without being for this reason outside the law of God.

As a consequence of this open denunciation, John is deprived of his freedom of action. He is incarcerated. But for Herodias this is too little. She have already pronounced the death sentence on the prophet of the living God. She knows that Herod does not want to fulfil it. But she also knows that it is enough to know how to wait and the favourable opportunity will come. In that circumstance he might not be opposed. The auspicious hour comes. Another source of evil enters the scene: Herodias’ daughter. This with a lustful dance clouds the mind of the king, who gives her an oath: “Whatever the girl would have asked him, he would have granted it to her. Had it been even half of his kingdom”. The girl is advised with her mother and this immediately suggests to ask the head of John the Baptist. The king can do nothing. Command that John is beheaded.

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.

The account of Herod’s death must teach every disciple of Jesus that he must stay away from evil. If he wants to always be victorious against the evil that comes from the outside, he must be the victor of the evil that comes to him from within.

Immaculate Virgin, Angels and Saints, teach us to overcome the evil that is within us.