Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist

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Saturday, 29 August 2026 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the occasion of the Feast of the Passion of St. John the Baptist, in which we remember the courageous faith and dedication that St. John the Baptist, the Herald of the Lord and Messiah had given to his Lord and Master, in all the things he had done, and in his whole life until even facing persecution, hardships in prison and eventually martyrdom for his righteous life and commitment to God, and his refusal to bend to the forces of the world, the forces of wickedness and evil. Through his courageous proclamation of the Lord’s coming and by calling on everyone to seek the Lord once again, turning away from their wickedness and sins, St. John the Baptist had brought more and more people closer to the Lord’s Presence and had done much in preparing the path for the Lord’s coming, which was indeed his mission in life.

At that time, St. John the Baptist, whom God had called and chosen since before he was even conceived and born, and whose miraculous birth and life had surprised many, went on with his mission, calling on the people of God to return to the Lord and to embrace His mercy, baptising countless thousands and more as a symbolic commitment that they would make for the Lord, in cleansing themselves from the corruption and taint of their past wicked and sinful lives. St. John the Baptist brought the words of God’s consolation and the assurance that the Messiah, that is the Saviour long promised by God would come very soon. He did not hold his tongue or words against those who were wicked, unjust and proud, like that of the Pharisees and the elders who were corrupt and wicked in their ways, calling them brood of vipers when they questioned him and doubted his authority in teaching and doing his mission.

Then, which led directly to today’s Gospel passage events, St. John the Baptist also spoke up courageously against the wickedness and evils of King Herod Antipas, the King and ruler of Galilee, who had taken the wife of his own brother Philip, who was likely still alive at that time according to historical records and evidence, as his own wife. Herodias, who was Philip’s wife, was therefore Herod’s own sister-in-law, and as we heard of one daughter of Herodias being mentioned in that Gospel passage today, it means that daughter was likely the child of Philip and Herodias, which according to the laws and customs of God’s Law and commandments, meant that the marriage had been consummated and could not be legally dissolved or annulled in any way. This also means that Herod committed the sin of adultery with Herodias, a fact that St. John the Baptist fearlessly criticised both of them for.

This was why Herodias held a grudge against St. John the Baptist, and wanted his death, which was only stopped by Herod’s admiration for the holy man of God. While Herod arrested St. John the Baptist and placed him in prison, he did not harm him any further otherwise as mentioned in today’s Gospel. But then we heard of Herodias’ machinations and wicked plans through which she brought about the death and martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. It was Herod’s own weakness of the flesh, which led him to commit the sin of adultery and then the sin of lust, by lusting for his own sister-in-law’s daughter that led him to his downfall, in becoming complicit in the murder and killing of the holy servant of God, because of his inability in resisting worldly temptations and the allures of worldly pleasures and vices.

That is why, all of us today are reminded on this celebration in the memory of the glorious and most courageous martyrdom of this great servant of God, St. John the Baptist, that each and every one of us must first of all be inspired by the great examples of this holy servant of God, in giving our best effort and time, our attention and focus so that we may truly serve the Lord faithfully in all things, and that we may be great examples and inspiration for one another as well. Living our lives as Christians, in following God in our world today may be a challenge for us, as we may encounter rejection and even persecution, hardships and challenges, obstacles and all sorts of things that may discourage us from continuing our path in following God. But we must not easily allow the temptations of the world, the allures of worldly pleasures and desires to mislead us down the path of evil and vice, as it had done to King Herod, Herodias, many among the Pharisees and many others.

Instead, we have to continue to dedicate ourselves to the path that the Lord has shown and guided us into. Just as St. John the Baptist, who had devoted his whole life to the service of God, and who walked faithfully in the path of righteousness without any reservations, and with all of his might, hence, that is how we should also live our lives, that is with great faith and commitment to God. We should always be strong in our desire to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and in leading a life that is truly worthy and good, upright and exemplary, so that others who see us, hear us and witness our actions and works may come to believe in God as well through us, just as St. John the Baptist in all of the commitments and works he had done, showed us what it truly should be like for us to be one of God’s faithful disciples and followers.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all remember therefore the courageous and faithful life of St. John the Baptist, and follow him in his courage and examples. At the same time, let us also be vigilant and careful so that we do not end up falling into the same trap of sin, evil and worldly vices that King Herod and Herodias had fallen into, the temptations of worldly pleasures, lust and desires, as well as the temptations of worldly pride, ego and ambition that many among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had fallen into. Let us all help one another to remain truly faithful to God so that we do not end up falling into the wrong path, and let us all remind one another so that we may help to encourage our fellow brethren whenever they are downtrodden and are facing hardships and challenges in life. Let us be the shining beacons of God’s hope, love and light in the midst of our darkened world today.

May the Lord continue to bless us all in our every good efforts, works and endeavours, and may He empower all of us in our every dealings and interactions, and in our commitments and lives, so that we may truly be His faithful disciples at all occasions, and be the beacons of light through which many others may come to find God and His salvation, just as St. John the Baptist had done to us, through his life, works and martyrdom. St. John the Baptist, Herald of the Messiah, Holy Man of God, pray for us all sinners. Amen.

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Saturday, 29 August 2026 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 6 : 17-29

At that time, 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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Saturday, 29 August 2026 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 70 : 1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15ab and 17

In You, o YHVH, I seek refuge; let me not be disgraced. In Your justice help me and deliver me; turn Your ear to me and save me!

Be my Rock of refuge; a Stronghold, to give me safety; for You are my Rock and my Fortress. Rescue me, o my God, from the hand of the wicked.

For You, o YHVH, have been my hope; my trust, o God, from my youth. I have relied on You from birth : from my mother’s womb You brought me forth.

My lips will proclaim Your intervention and tell of Your salvation all day. You have taught me from my youth and, until now, I proclaim Your marvels.

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Saturday, 29 August 2026 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Jeremiah 1 : 17-19

But you, get ready for action; stand up and say to them all that I command you. Be not scared of them or I will scare you in their presence! See, I will make you a fortified city, a pillar of iron with walls of bronze, against all the nations, against the kings and princes of Judah, against the priests and the people of the land.

They will fight against you but shall not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue you – it is YHVH Who speaks.

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Saturday, 1 August 2026 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 14 : 1-12

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 disciple came, took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

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Friday, 29 August 2025 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Passion of St. John the Baptist, the Herald and the one who prepared for the coming of the Messiah, the Saviour of the world Himself. Today’s Feast commemorate the moment when St. John the Baptist faced his time of suffering in the prison of King Herod Antipas and then eventual martyrdom. And as we recall the courageous faith and dedication which St. John the Baptist had shown, we are also reminded of the reality of what it truly means for us to be faithful Christians and disciples of the Lord just as St. John the Baptist had been. If we expect that being Christians means that we have a smooth journey in life and life full of happiness and blessings, then we can easily be disappointed when it does not end up this way.

St. John the Baptist had been called by God from the very beginning, prophesied through the prophet Isaiah and the other prophets speaking about the coming of the Messiah that he would be the one to prepare the path for the Lord’s own coming. He was called from his mother’s womb, and had been prepared by God from the beginning, from his miraculous conception and birth, and all the things that happened during his early life. God was clearly with him, guiding him on the mission which He ultimately entrusted to him, and as we all should be aware of, St. John the Baptist devoted his life to serve the Lord’s will, going forth to the wilderness to prepare himself, and then as the ‘voice ringing out in the wilderness’, he began calling on everyone to return to the Lord and repent from their sinful ways.

But this was a mission that was harder said than done, and the reality was such that he faced many obstacles and challenges. While indeed many thousands upon thousands of people were touched by his call and responded to him, there were also many of those who opposed and doubted him, questioning his authenticity and criticising him, such as the members of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who came to him with many questions especially about his teachings and ways, which the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, the religious elites of the community often found disagreeable. And St. John the Baptist therefore was equally vocal in his rebuke and opposition against those often self-righteous and self-serving elites that he called as the ‘brood of vipers’.

This was what the Lord spoke about as well as He told the prophet Jeremiah in what we heard in our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, when He called Jeremiah to follow Him and to be the prophet to minister to His people in the kingdom of Judah during its last days. It was a really difficult and challenging, a thankless and troublesome task, to face the stubborn and rebellious people of Judah, the remnants of God’s people in the southern half of what used to be the united kingdom of Israel. Their northern neighbours had been conquered and defeated over a century prior, and many among the people of God had been uprooted and exiled from their own lands, the lands promised and entrusted to them by the Lord because of their sins and wickedness.

And it was to these people that Jeremiah had been sent to, to labour and toil among, just as St. John the Baptist was sent to the same stubborn and ignorant people, especially those who led them and had the power and influence during that time. Both of these servants of God faced a lot of hardships and struggles, but the Lord was with them, and just as the Lord reassured Jeremiah, that He would be with him throughout all of his challenges and trials, therefore, God also did the same with St. John the Baptist and His many other servants, those who have faithfully carried out the missions and works entrusted to them by the Lord Himself. 

In addition, as we heard in our Gospel passage today, for St. John the Baptist, he was put under arrest by King Herod Antipas, whom the servant of God criticised harshly for his immoral attitudes and way of life, especially in how he had taken his own brother’s wife, Herodias as his own wife. The Scriptural evidence was clear enough in implying that Philip, the brother of Herod was still alive, and when Herod took his brother’s wife as his own that actually amounted to adultery, which was a grave sin, and especially more so when the one who committed it was no less than the one who was entrusted with the rule of the people of God. That was why St. John the Baptist spoke critically against the king, and was arrested as a result.

And then we heard how St. John the Baptist met his death in martyrdom, having earned the great ire from Herodias for having criticised her and Herod for their adulterous behaviour. That was how as mentioned in our Gospel passage today, Herodias concocted a plot to trick Herod into executing St. John the Baptist, as Herod still refused to harm the holy man of God. She played upon Herod’s own worldly desires and when he was likely intoxicated and mesmerised by his own stepdaughter’s beauty and performance, he made promises before the important members and officials of his kingdom that he could not retract. That was how Herod’s action, his immorality and his succumbing to worldly desires and pleasures ended up leading him to cause harm on a holy man of God. St. John the Baptist remained faithful to the very end and dedicated himself wholly to God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we reflect upon the Passion and martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, holy servant of God and the Herald of the Messiah, let us all come to realise our calling and mission in life so that we may truly devote ourselves thoroughly and worthily to do the missions that the Lord Himself has entrusted to us. We must not allow ourselves to be overcome or paralysed by fear or doubt, especially upon knowing and realising that no matter what happened or what may happen to us, God will always be by our side, supporting and strengthening us. Our life and journey as Christians may not necessarily be an easy or smooth one, but if we continue to have faith and trust in the Lord, then in the end, we will be vindicated and we will share in the eternal glory and triumph, true joy and happiness with God.

May all of us therefore continue to devote ourselves faithfully to God at all times, and may we continue to be good role models and examples of our faith in the Lord, imitating and following the examples which the prophet Jeremiah and St. John the Baptist had shown us all. May all of us continue to be strong in our desire to walk in the path that God has shonw us regardless of the trials and challenges that we may have to face in life. Let us continue to progress forward in faith, doing our best to serve the Lord by our faithful living, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 29 August 2025 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 6 : 17-29

At that time, 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.

by

Friday, 29 August 2025 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 70 : 1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15ab and 17

In You, o YHVH, I seek refuge; let me not be disgraced. In Your justice help me and deliver me; turn Your ear to me and save me!

Be my Rock of refuge; a Stronghold, to give me safety; for You are my Rock and my Fortress. Rescue me, o my God, from the hand of the wicked.

For You, o YHVH, have been my hope; my trust, o God, from my youth. I have relied on You from birth : from my mother’s womb You brought me forth.

My lips will proclaim Your intervention and tell of Your salvation all day. You have taught me from my youth and, until now, I proclaim Your marvels.

by

Friday, 29 August 2025 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Jeremiah 1 : 17-19

But you, get ready for action; stand up and say to them all that I command you. Be not scared of them or I will scare you in their presence! See, I will make you a fortified city, a pillar of iron with walls of bronze, against all the nations, against the kings and princes of Judah, against the priests and the people of the land.

They will fight against you but shall not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue you – it is YHVH Who speaks.

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Saturday, 2 August 2025 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop, and St. Peter Julian Eymard, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops or Priests or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Matthew 14 : 1-12

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 disciple came, took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.