Memorial of the
Passion of Saint John the Baptist
(I Corinthians 2:15; Mark 6:17-29)
This summer the archdiocesan schools of Chicago have publicized
a prayer for a peaceful summer. They are
not making a conventional plea of goodwill among all people. Rather the city’s ghettos have become
battlegrounds that threaten the lives of children. Such wanton
violence claims Jesus’ forerunner in today’s gospel.
John has preached the coming of one greater than he to
impart the Spirit of holiness. He was
arrested by King Herod for condemning the king’s unlawful marriage. Now he is killed out of the spite felt by the
king’s wife. John has shown himself to
be a true prophet by announcing God’s will to the world and suffering dire consequences
for it.
We honor John today for pointing the way to Jesus. We give both Jesus and John honor by working
to end violence. We can strive to eliminate
violence from our thoughts and our tongues.
We can also teach children to do likewise.
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