Reading 1
Jer 26:11-16, 24
The priests and prophets said to the princes and to all the people,
"This man deserves death;
he has prophesied against this city,
as you have heard with your own ears."
Jeremiah gave this answer to the princes and all the people:
"It was the LORD who sent me to prophesy against this house and city
all that you have heard.
Now, therefore, reform your ways and your deeds;
listen to the voice of the LORD your God,
so that the LORD will repent of the evil with which he threatens you.
As for me, I am in your hands;
do with me what you think good and right.
But mark well: if you put me to death,
it is innocent blood you bring on yourselves,
on this city and its citizens.
For in truth it was the LORD who sent me to you,
to speak all these things for you to hear."
Thereupon the princes and all the people
said to the priests and the prophets,
"This man does not deserve death;
it is in the name of the LORD, our God, that he speaks to us."
So Ahikam, son of Shaphan, protected Jeremiah,
so that he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
Gospel
Mt 14:1-12
Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus
and said to his servants, "This man is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him."
Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison
on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,
for John had said to him,
"It is not lawful for you to have her."
Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people,
for they regarded him as a prophet.
But at a birthday celebration for Herod,
the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests
and delighted Herod so much
that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.
Prompted by her mother, she said,
"Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist."
The king was distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,
he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.
His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,
who took it to her mother.
His disciples came and took away the corpse
and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.
Meditation: Psalm 69:15-16,30-31,33-34
“You who seek God, take heart!” (Psalm 69:33)
These are beautiful words. But when we pair them with today’s readings, we can see how practical—even life-saving—they can be. Let’s imagine how Jeremiah and John the Baptist, today’s main characters, might “take heart” in their very desperate situations.
In Jerusalem’s final days, God gave Jeremiah an unpopular message: Babylon would conquer the city, and the people should surrender rather than resist. Hearing Jeremiah proclaim this demoralizing message, Jerusalem’s leaders tried to silence him permanently. It was only through the intervention of Ahikam that his life was spared. Imagine what his prayer was like as his life hung in the balance:
God, rescue me from the mire; don’t let me sink. Don’t let the floodwaters overwhelm me. Let your saving help protect me, God, that I may praise your name in song. I trust you, Lord. May your words live on in the hearts of those whom I love.
John attracted throngs of people seeking baptism and asking what God expected of them. Ordinary people, tax collectors, soldiers—he told each how to live righteously. When Jesus came on the scene, John encouraged his own disciples to follow Jesus instead. Because John fearlessly criticized Herod’s illegal marriage, Herod had him thrown into prison, leading John to wonder if he had been wrong all along. What do you think his prayer would have sounded like as he sat there, waiting for his execution?
Lord, when I first saw Jesus, I was convinced he was the Messiah. But now I’m not so sure. Did I waste my life chasing after a fantasy? Was all that time in the desert really worth it? I am afflicted and in pain, Lord. Please come and help me. Protect me, that I may glorify your name.
Is there some way that you feel imprisoned today? It doesn’t have to be as dramatic as Jeremiah or John’s situations for you to follow their example. Whatever the situation, seek God and take heart! He is with you, working out his purposes and giving you his strength and comfort.
“I pray to you, Lord, for the time of your favor. God, in your great kindness answer me. Because I seek you, Lord, let me take heart, for I know you hear me.”
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