Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Matthew 14: 1-12
August 02, 2025 | Saturday

Today’s Gospel

At that time, the reports about Jesus reached king Herod. And he said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. John has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in John.” Herod had, in fact, ordered that John be arrested, bound in chains and put in prison, because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had said to Herod, “It is not right for you to have her as your wife.” Herod wanted to kill him but he did not dare, because he feared the people, who regarded John as a prophet. On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced among the guests; she so delighted Herod that he promised under oath to give her anything she asked for. The girl, following the advice of her mother, said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist, here, on a dish.” The king was very displeased, but because he had made his promise under oath, in the presence of his guests, he ordered it to be given to her. So he had John beheaded in prison, and his head brought on a dish and given to the girl. The girl then took it to her mother. Then John’s disciples came, took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

Today’s Reflection

Jubilee celebrations have divine and human purposes. They should remind us that God owns everything we have and that we are stewards of those things given to us. The cancellation of all debts and the restoration of the original ownership of ancestral lands are means to give debtors an opportunity for a fresh start. The first reading reminds us of God’s mercy in allowing us to start afresh every time we are in debt or committed acts against His will.

The gospel story is about John the Baptist’s beheading. Unlike the Gospel of Mark, Matthew’s story goes directly to the gist of the narrative. It hits hard on Herod. Herod has no excuse for beheading John. The spirit working on John also works on Jesus. Hence, the uneasiness is aggravated by the knowledge that the people popularly acclaim John as a prophet. Here, the focus is on Herod’s refusal to recognize that hidden or divine power is working on Jesus and John. Our attitude also speaks a lot of our faith. How many times have we regretted stubbornly refusing to recognize the presence of God in other people because of the pressure of politics,

social norms, or the unconscious denial of the goodness in others due to our bigotry? It takes a lot of sustained effort and God’s grace. Let us pray for God’s loving mercy to see and

notice Him in one another.

/Vulnerasti, 2025