King Herod

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Friday, 25 July 2014 : Feast of St. James, Apostle (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red (Apostles and Martyrs)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the feast of a great saint of the Church, one of the Apostles of Christ Himself, namely St. James the Apostle, also known as St. James the Greater or St. James, son of Zebedee, who together with his brother, St. John the Evangelist are among the Holy Apostles of Christ our Lord.

Yet, it may seem that in today’s Gospel, our Lord Himself admonished the two brothers, the sons of Zebedee, when their mother asked for their favoured positions at the kingdom of heaven beside Jesus. Such attitude were prevalent, and in fact not only just then, but over all ages past, present, and as it will also be in the future. Mankind are predisposed to pride and greed for position and privileges.

What Jesus wanted to teach His disciples and all of us mankind, in tandem with the Scriptures that we heard today, is that mankind should be humble and unassuming, following the will of God in all things, putting obedience and service in humility ahead of our personal ambition and glory. Jesus taught us that the way to God is not one wrought by power or ambition, but through full obedience to the will of God and through a heart devoted to the service of both God and men.

And that exactly what He had called His Apostles for, and who He expected them to be, just as the same had been expected, and performed by their successors, who are none other than the bishops and the priests, including those who are present with us today, and guiding us in these uncertain days in this world. The Apostles were not called for a life of glory and plenty, but instead for a life of difficulty and challenges, of rejection and hatred by the world, and many other obstacles.

And for St. James the Apostle, that did not come too soon, for he was one among the first of the Apostles to be martyred for his faith and devotion to Jesus Christ, our Lord. St. James the Apostle was killed by King Herod in prison, in order to please the religious leaders of his subordinates, the Pharisees and the elders of Israel. He was truly one of the first to die for the faith in Christ.

The tasks entrusted to the Apostles were truly daunting and challenging to any who look and know those tasks and what they truly mean. They went about the entire known world, walking in the path of God, and spreading the Good News to all mankind. Through their hard work and commitment, many people came to hear their testimony about God, who came into this world through Jesus Christ.

Yet, it is through their great service filled with humility, that the Apostles gained eventually the eternal glory promised by Christ, who assured them of the final victory and glory over those who are up against God and His people. It is not through glory that God had given glory to mankind, but through love and through service. And the words of Christ certainly ring very clearly in our minds, that those who are called to be greater should indeed be lower and greater in their humility.

True leadership and greatness comes when mankind realise that power, arrogance, greed and ambition does not lead to true greatness in life. All these lead only into an endless cycle of greed and hatred, as well as desire for more and more. This is precisely the reason for tyranny and dictatorial rule, when men care only about themselves and not about the others around them, particularly those who are under their authority, those entrusted to their care and leadership.

Christ wanted to teach us that the way to greatness is through the Lord, and through obedience to the will of God. To lead is to serve, just as the great Leader of all, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord of Lords and King of Kings Himself had done. Although He was so great and Almighty, Lord over all creations, but He was not boastful nor prideful, and instead, He lowered Himself to the lowest possible position, made concrete in His own actions, as we all know it.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, God did not hesitate at all to come down from His great throne to be one of us, and to dwell among us. To this extent, and such greatness is His love, that He was willing to empty Himself completely and became a servant, and not just a servant, but a servant of all servants, and the lowest and most shameful of all creations.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus had also taught His disciples to follow His examples and serve one another, especially when at the Last Supper as He washed the feet of the disciples. He taught them to pass on the knowledge and the practice, and so they did, down to us today. That is what we ought to do as well, brothers and sisters. The Apostles and the saints all gained great glory, that is everlasting glory that survives even the ending of the world, by their loving service of both God and mankind.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, shall we too walk in the same path as St. James the Apostle and the other Holy Apostles and saints of God? Let us no longer be disobedient and rebellious against the Lord. Let us no longer dwell in our pride, arrogance, greed and desire. Rather, let us learn to let go of our unquenchable desire, and so gain for ourselves a greater glory than what the world can give us.

It is no doubt that things will not be easy for us. Challenges will be on our way, and the devil and his forces will be arrayed against us. But if we trust in God, we should have nothing to fear, for He will surely guide us and protect us on our way. Let us be like St. James in his faith, and let us devote ourselves to God ever more in our lives. May God be with us always and lead us to live always in His light. Amen.

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Friday, 7 February 2014 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are represented with two contrasting model of kingship in Herod and David, both technically kings of Israel. The readings today showed how the faith and diligence of David in the first reading taken from the book of the prophet Sirach can be contrasted with the wickedness and evil nature of Herod and his reign.

Sirach showed how David as the chosen king of the Lord over His people Israel, dutifully carried his works as the king, without ever in a major way, deviating from the way of the Lord. He led the people of God towards Him and in his actions he brought the Lord to everyone’s heart, that modelling upon his actions, the people may also follow suit and be obedient to God.

David was the model king, who followed the way of virtue, and remained firm in the Lord’s path and favour till the end of his life and reign. He led by example in praising the Lord and showing the people how to follow the Lord. That is why the reign of David was remembered fondly by the people as the Golden Age of Israel, because God blessed Israel and its people tremendously due to David.

In contrast, Herod and his reign was often looked down by the people and remembered as a time of mismanagement, gluttony and greed. Herod did not reign like David, because instead of following the Lord as David had done, Herod, who was the son of Herod the Great, followed his father in style of governance and in his lifestyle.

If you all remember, Herod the Great was the one who ordered the massacre of infants under the age of two in Bethlehem, because he could not stand having a rival king beside himself, when he was told of the coming of the Messiah, the King of Israel and the King of all kings in Jesus. He acted with impunity and depended solely on his human judgments and emotions in dealing with things.

His son, the one mentioned as king Herod in today’s Gospel, was not far from the ways of his predecessor. King Herod here lived a life of luxury and debauchery, engaging in practices deemed wicked in the eyes of the Lord, one of which was mentioned in the Gospel today, that is taking his own brother’s wife as his own.

The people of Israel were allowed to marry the wife of their deceased brother providing that the brother had died without leaving a child to continue his legacy. But Jesus came to reveal the truth about the Lord’s will for mankind, as written in the Book of Genesis, that man is united to woman in a holy bond of matrimony, where no man can separate that bond.

Thus, even the old law about divorce and remarriage had been rewritten by the Lord Himself, as He formed a new covenant with His people. But what Herod had done was in violation of even the old laws revealed to Moses. Herod married his own deceased brother’s wife despite of them having a daughter, the same daughter mentioned in the Gospel today, and there might even be other children born of that union. Hence, Herod had committed adultery with his brother’s wife.

And his other doings, which include that day when he was allured by his own stepdaughter’s beauty and performance during the feast he held. He was so allured by worldly desire and pleasure that he made an oath that he would certainly regret later on, and which caused him to be guilty of murdering God’s holy messenger, John the Baptist, the herald of the Messiah.

Such indeed was the sin of the king of Jesus’ time, as compared to the rightful David. From the two, we can see the comparison, and realise that first, power is not everything, and human power in particular. Power and worldly pleasures and all its temptations can corrupt us and turn us away from God and His ways. For the price of temporary pleasure and false happiness in this world, if we immerse ourselves in corrupt power, we will end up in eternal suffering and rejected by God.

Instead, brothers and sisters in Christ, we all should follow the example of David the faithful king, in how he followed the Lord faithfully to the end of his life. If we put our trust in God, even with all the challenges in life and all the oppositions we may have, we do not have to worry, because God stands with us, and in the end, if we remain faithful, we will be rewarded with eternal glory in heaven.

May God bless us with strong faith, and one which is rooted deeply in Him, just as His servant David had done. May the Lord our God continue to protect us and guide us towards Him, that we shall always be in His grace. Amen.

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Friday, 7 February 2014 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 6 : 14-29

King Herod also heard about Jesus, because His Name had become well-known. Some people said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in Him.” Others thought, “He is Elijah,” and others, “He is a Prophet like the prophets of times past.”

When Herod was told of this, he thought, “I had John beheaded, yet he has risen from the dead!” For this is what had happened : Herod had ordered John to be arrested, and had had him bound and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod had married her, and John had told him, “It is not right for you to live with your brother’s wife.”

So Herodias held a grudge against John; and wanted to kill him, but she could not, because Herod respected John. He knew John to be an upright and holy man, and kept him safe. And he liked listening to him, although he became very disturbed, whenever he heard him.

Herodias had her chance on Herod’s birthday, when he gave a dinner for all the senior government officials, military chiefs, and the leaders of Galilee. On that occasion the daughter of Herodias came in and danced; and she delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you.” And he went so far as to say with many oaths, “I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.”

She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” The mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl hurried to the king and made her request, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist, here and now, on a dish.”

The king was very displeased, but he would not refuse in front of his guests because of his oaths. So he sent one of the bodyguards with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded John in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl. And the girl gave it to her mother.

When John’s disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and buried it.

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Monday, 13 January 2014 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Mark 1 : 14-20

After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began preaching the Good News of God. He said, “The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News.”

As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fish for people.”

At once, they abandoned their nets and followed Him. Jesus went a little farther on and saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee; they were in their boat mending their nets.

Immediately Jesus called them and they followed Him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men.

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Sunday, 15 December 2013 : Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or Rose (Gaudete Sunday)

Matthew 11 : 2-11

When John the Baptist heard in prison about the activities of Christ, he sent a message by his disciples, asking Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

Jesus answered them, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see : the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are brought back to life, and Good News is reaching the poor; and how fortunate is the one who does not take offense at Me!”

As the messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John : “When you went out to the desert, what did you expect to see? A reed swept by the wind? What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? People who wear fine clothes live in palaces. What did you really go out to see? A prophet? Yes, indeed, and even more than a prophet. He is the man of whom Scripture says : ‘I send My messenger ahead of You to prepare the way before You.'”

“I tell you this : no one greater than John the Baptist has come forward from among the sons of women, and yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

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Thursday, 31 October 2013 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 13 : 31-35

At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and gave Him this warning, “Leave this place and go on Your way, for Herod wants to kill You.” Jesus said to them, “Go and give that fox my answer : ‘I drive out demons, and I heal today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish My course!’ Nevertheless, I must go on My way today, and tomorrow, and for a little longer; for it would not be fitting for a prophet to be killed outside Jerusalem.”

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you slay the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I tried to bring together your children, as a bird gathers her young under her wings, but you refused! From now on, you will be left with your temple, and you will no longer see Me, until the time when you will say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.'”

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Thursday, 26 September 2013 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red

Luke 9 : 7-9

King Herod heard of all this, and did not know what to think, for people said, “This is John, raised from the dead.” Others believed that Elijah, or one of the ancient prophets, had come back to life. As for Herod, he said, “I had John beheaded. Who is this Man, about whom I hear such wonders?” And he was anxious to see Him.

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Thursday, 29 August 2013 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (Scripture Reflection)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we commemorate a great feast in our faith, that is the Passion of St. John the Baptist, when he died in the prison of King Herod because of his uprightness, his faith, and his courage. St. John the Baptist, as we all know, is a relative to Jesus, the son of Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary, the Mother of our Lord. He was the one to open the way for Christ and straighten His path in this world.

St. John the Baptist was a truly upright man, who followed the Lord faithfully even unto his suffering and death. He was not even afraid of chastising a king, scolding him for having improper relationship with his brother’s wife, Herodias. He suffered prison, but he did not fear. He had also suffered rejection, mockery, and doubt, by the Pharisees and the chief priests, who disliked whatever he was doing when he baptised many people in the Jordan, and even questioned his authority.

He stood up courageously and rebuked them as an evil nest of vipers, just as he had in the same way rebuked Herod and his new wife. He feared not human hatred nor opposition, because to Him, it is the love of God that truly mattered to him. His death is part of the Lord’s plan for salvation, that his work in preparing the way for the Lord was then complete, having initiated our Lord Jesus through His baptism at the Jordan, marking the formal beginning of the Lord’s ministry on earth.

St. John the Baptist took his ministry seriously and dutifully, and he truly loved God and was glad of the part he had done in the Lord’s plan of salvation. When Jesus’ ministry began and many people began to come to Jesus instead of John, he was happy and slowly and quietly drifting away into nothingness, while still doing whatever he could to the people who came to him, and directed them to Christ the Lord. He showed true humility, unlike the Pharisees and the chief priests who viewed both him and Jesus as threats to their teaching authority.

Today we are reminded, and indeed urged to do more good and less of the vices, things abhorred in the eyes of the Lord our God. We are urged to follow the examples of St. John the Baptist while keeping away from the vices of Herod and Herodias, wicked people in the eyes of God. Yet, it is very natural for all of us to follow the path of Herod rather than that of John. Why is it so, brothers and sisters? Precisely because we all are weak, weak to sin, open to sin, and vulnerable to sin.

It is most likely that Herodias, even after she was widowed by Philip, the brother of Herod, remained very attractive and beautiful, and that was what attracted Herod to his own brother’s wife, even though as king, he could have had many women as his partner, he chose to follow his urges and desires and chose Herodias. The same can be said of Herodias, the wife. She certainly craved power and authority and wealth that only a king could muster, and that was why she was complicit in the improper relations between her and Herod, her husband’s brother.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we are reminded today of the unjust death of St. John the Baptist, messenger of God and the one who prepared the way before the Lord, that we too should be upright, just, and truthful in our lives, in all our words, actions, deeds, and dealings with others, and not be led by our human emotions and even less so to fall into the temptations of the devil and embrace them.

We must not let ourselves be swayed like Herod had done, in promising even up to half of his kingdom to the daughter of Herodias, just because he was fascinated by her and her dance. Lust, passion, and desire can indeed bring us to destruction, just as it had done to Herod. Herod killed the messenger of God, John the Baptist, and therefore incurred for certainty, the eternal wrath of God, all because of the vow he made to the daughter of Herodias, words that came out of desire and lust, which later on came back to haunt him.

Let us all, brothers and sisters in Christ, follow the example of John, that we will be ever courageous to stand up for our faith, to stand up for what we believe in, to be faithful defenders of the Lord in our increasingly hostile world. Let us not be afraid of saying the truth and live an upright life just as John had done. Guard our emotions and have a strong and healthy prayer life, that the devil will not be able to enter into our hearts and corrupt them, as he had done to Herod.

John showed his disciples that Christ is the Lamb of God, and therefore, today he too showed us to Christ, as the pathway and the only door to salvation. Let us be faithful to Christ our Lord, and be inspired by John His servant and messenger, and let us also adopt his humility, in not seeking human glory and human praise, but seeking the greater glory and praise in God instead. Let us strive to love God more by acting on His will, and do as He wants us, that is to love Him with all our strength and our being, and to give ourselves in love to our brethren, especially those who are unloved, those who are lonely, and those who are abandoned. May God bless us all. Amen.

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Saturday, 3 August 2013 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time (Scripture Reflection)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s Scripture readings urge us to always be righteous and honest in all the things that we do, in all our dealings with others and in our relationship with the Lord our God and our neighbours, our fellow men. We are urged to always take the path of the righteous ones and avoid the path as taken by King Herod and those who try to cheat and be dishonest in all their actions.

For actions like that of King Herod shows not only dishonesty, but also giving up of oneself to the temptations of the world and the power of evil. King Herod followed his lust and desire to take the former wife of his own brother as his own. It is unlawful because it seems that the King had taken her as wife while his brother was yet still alive, and therefore committed adultery with her in the eyes of man and God.

He gave in to the temptations of the devil, the lust for human beauty and pleasures of the world, especially through his privileged position as a king at the time, surrounded by good things and other things enjoyed by the privileged class. The same was warned against the people of Israel by the Lord through Moses, that they do not let themselves be swayed by their positions and privileges so as to cheat on others on their money, their possessions or other related things.

Money, wealth, and possessions are not necessarily bad, and neither does other things that can give us happiness and pleasurable feelings. However, it is important that we do not misuse them for our own selfish purposes and intents, that we end up being controlled by these things. We have to learn to control ourselves, our desires, and our emotions. Learn to control our possessions, and do not let them control us instead.

We must always focus our attention on the Lord, and put our full trust in Him. He is the One who can give us everything that we need in our respective lives. The Lord our God is the source of our true happiness and our true joy. It is not in the world that we can find our true happiness and pleasure, not in sexual relations, human beauty, wealth, or abundance of possessions, but in the love of God, supported by our love of one another. If we do this, we obey the Lord’s commands, that is to love Him and love one another with all our heart, our mind, our soul, and our strength.

If we do not love God with all our hearts and our strength, we will be more prone to the deceptions of the evil one, and eventually lead to scenarios such as the one in the Gospel, where King Herod was literally forced to behead St. John the Baptist and therefore made a great sin in the eyes of God, just because of his complete fascination in his own wife’s daughter’s beauty. Then, the same also can happen as in the scenario highlighted in the First Reading, where temptations can indeed be great for anyone to deal dishonestly with one another, and cheat on one another, particularly in monetary matters.

If we love money and possessions more than our brethren and our Lord, then we will grow to desire to possess them more and more in amount. This will lead to even greater desire, an unending cycle of desire, that will end up with us committing greater and greater sins in the eyes of the Lord. One good example would be gambling, in which many stories tell the same case, that an insatiable desire for more wealth and possessions resulting in major loss of money, and therefore, immense financial problems, which later on, tend to push people to do sinful things such as stealing, crime, or even corruption.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we must stand up for the Lord, and stand up for His love, and we must dare to stand up against the temptations of wealth, material, and worldly pleasures. We have to realise and come to a full understanding, that worldly possessions are not everything for us. What we truly need is the Lord and His love, and the love of our fellow brothers and sisters, and not the love of money or the love of the world. This is what truly can fulfill our needs, especially our need for love. Money and possessions can satisfy us, but it can never satisfy us forever. We have to use it as a tool to bring love to others instead of being controlled by it.

Let us commit ourselves to our Lord and God who loves us so much that He gave us Jesus as the perfect gift, the divine love of God, given to us freely, that we may have a new hope and a new life in us, in perfect reunion with our God and Creator. He is the true love and true happiness that we should all seek in life, and put our focus on. Let us never forget His Passion and His suffering, and ultimately His death on the cross at Calvary. Let us always look at our crucified Lord with pride in our hearts. May God bless all of us, and remain with us at all times. Amen.

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Saturday, 3 August 2013 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Matthew 14 : 1-12

At that time the news 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 this 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 and took his body and buried it. Then they went away to bring the news to Jesus.