Homily for August 4, 2018.
_“Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, and he said to his servants, ‘This is John the Baptist, he has been raised from the dead; that is why these powers are at work in him.’” *(Matthew 14:1-2)*_
Do you sometimes know the right thing to do but for one reason or the other find yourself incapable of doing it? Do you often find yourself giving countless excuses as to why you cannot just do what is right and ideal but prefer to do what is convenient instead? Do you cherish your pride over and above your values? These questions perfectly describe the character of Herod, the tetrarch.
Herod for me represents countless Christians who know God very well and are excited about the things of God; Christians who love to listen to sound homilies but will never move an inch to practice a word of what they hear. We are told that Herod loved listening to John the Baptist preach yet, he was unwilling to put an end to his adulterous marriage to his brother’s wife. He knew John the Baptist was a prophet, he knew he was saying the truth but he never acted until it was too late.
Herod also represents many Christians who are miracle-freak; Christians who acknowledge the power at work in Jesus but do not go beyond the level of being entertained by signs and wonders. The miracles Jesus worked did not help to bring Herod to repentance instead they made him revere Jesus as the resurrected form of John the Baptist. When Herod had the chance of meeting Jesus face to face during his trials, Herod was excited expecting to see some miracle-action but Jesus disappointed him.
Herod had no personal values, he preferred his ego over and above his conscience. When the demand was made for the head of John the Baptist, Herod thought first about what people would say rather than what was right. He was sorry about it, yet he proceeded to kill John the Baptist. Some Christians are just like Herod, they would rather do what is popular than what is right in the sight of God. We know what we are about to do is wrong and that God will not be happy yet we still go ahead to do it just to look good before human beings.
Jeremiah is the direct opposite of Herod. Jeremiah did not give the people a sugar-coated message. He spoke the truth rather than what they people like to hear. Jeremiah would not change his message or disobey God’s voice despite the direct threats he received from the priests and the prophets. The greatest mistake you can ever make is to attempt to please people like Herod rather than stand your ground like Jeremiah.
Today, we celebrate the life of the priest Saint John Vianney. John struggled with his seminary studies, he lagged behind when others were far ahead but God gave him second chances. Eventually, we remember him today not because of his academic degrees, but because of his simplicity, devotion and love for souls. He is the patron of Parish Priests.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, save me from being a modern-day Herod. Amen.
*Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saturday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Jeremiah 26:11-24, Psalm 69:15-34, Matthew 14:1-12).*
Fr. Abu
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