So great was his faith that John suffered martyrdom. He denounced Herod and his perversion in stealing his brother’s wife. He was beheaded for crying out, “It is not lawful for you”; he won heaven for his faithfulness.
Newsdesk (Gaudium Press) St. John the Baptist is the only saint of whom both his birth (June 24th) and his death are celebrated. “This virginal prophet went through life telling the whole truth, fearing no one, terrifying impiety, enrapturing and preparing souls for the Messiah.”[1]
Herod, the Tetrarch, had had John arrested and chained in prison because of Herodias, the wife of Philip, his brother, whom he had espoused. John had said to Herod, “You are not allowed to have your brother’s wife.”
Therefore Herodias wanted to put him to death but she feared the people, because John was held to be a great prophet. Even so, she laid a trap for him, and wanted to kill him, but could not, for even Herod, who feared John, knowing him to be a just and holy man, had caused him to be preserved, even acting on his advice in many things and willingly listening to him.
At last a favourable day came: that of Herod’s birth, on which he gave a banquet to the princes, the military tribunes, and the chief men of Galilee. The daughter of Herodias danced before Herod and so pleased him and those at the table that he said to her:
“Ask of me whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he swore, “I will give you whatever you ask me, even if it is half of my kingdom.”
She left and went to her mother. What shall I ask for? Her mother answered her, “The head of John the Baptist“.
Immediately returning with great eagerness to the room, where the king was, she made her request to him, saying: “I want you to give me right now, on a platter, the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was greatly distressed; however, because of the oath he had taken and those who were at table with him, he did not wish to grieve her by a refusal.
So having called one of his guards, he commanded him to bring John’s head on a platter. The guard cut off his head in prison and brought it on a platter; he gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. [2]
So great was his faith that John suffered martyrdom. He denounced Herod and his perversion in stealing his brother’s wife. He was beheaded for crying out, “It is not lawful for you”; he won heaven for his faithfulness.
[1] Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira. Extracted from conference 23rd June 1967.
[2] Father Rohrbacher. Lives of the Saints.
Compiled by Roberta MacEwan
