Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection August 29, 2024

29th August 2024 (Thursday)

Psalter: Week 1

Reading of the Day

First Reading: Jeremiah 1:17-19

In those days: The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”

Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15ab and 17 (R. see 15ab)

R/. My mouth will tell of your salvation, Lord

Gospel Acclamation

V/. Alleluia

R/. Alleluia

V/. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

R/. Alleluia.

Gospel : Mark 6:17-29

At that time: Herod sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Daily Gospel Reflection

Thursday – Twenty-First Week of Ordinary Time

Guidelines: To live for the Lord is to be committed to truth. This will lead one even to die for Him

1. Today we commemorate the martyrdom of John the Baptist. What stands him out is his passion for his mission. His mission was to bear witness to the truth. Truth is both the person of Jesus himself and the way of Jesus.

2. In other words, his mission was a fearless faithfulness to truthfulness. He was quite in line with the prophet Jeremiah in the first reading. He was like a fortified city, an iron pillar against the royal court. They would fight against him but would not prevail against him.

3. For John the Baptist, to be faithful is to be truthful. And to be truthful is to be totally and always committed to what is just and holy. That is why he is qualified as being just and holy. In fact, these two features characterize the two essential aspects of a faithful and truthful person. Being holy indicates one’s disposition and relationship with God, and being just indicates one’s disposition and relationship toward others.

4. When one is right in this twofold relationship, then he is truly truthful. Accordingly, in his holiness and justice, he would not condone and compromise with the unholy and unjust action of Herod having Herodias, his brother’s wife. He denounced it and thus incurred the wrath of Herodias. She would treacherously get him beheaded.

5. His martyrdom shows us the nature and price of fidelity. There is no faithfulness without truthfulness. There is no truthfulness without a sense of holiness and righteousness. Herod, Herodias, her daughter, and the royal guests at his birthday party were all the agents of the murder because there was no truth in them. They were party to evil because they were not just and holy.

6. They lacked fidelity because they compromised truth with falsity, holiness with impurity, principles with pleasures, and justice with injustice. Today, many are no different from this bunch of evil promoters. Whenever we fail to be committed to truth, fail to be just and holy, and compromise the right values for the sake of pleasure and profit, we too are on the side of evil.

Practice: On which side we are – On the side of John the Baptist, standing erect and firm for truth and the Lord? Or, on the side of Herod and co. for the sake of self-interests and self-glory?