The liturgical color red can represent the Holy Spirit, but it also signifies martyrdom or the death of a person for our faith, which we commemorate today in the passion of St John the Baptist.
It was John's prophetic voice that brough God's message to the people of Ancient Israel, preparing the way of the Lord. However, it’s John’s prophetic voice that got him into trouble. He charged the highest-ranking governmental official of the region, Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, of making an unlawful marriage with Herodias, the daughter of one of Herod's brothers & the ex-wife of another brother. Speaking out against Herod landed John in prison and ultimately to his death.
Herod is puzzled by John, but he is attracted to him as well. Herod feared John, he listened to him, he saw him as a holy, righteous man. Yet, Herod was willing to sacrifice the life of John the Baptist in order to maintain his own honor and power. Wanting to show the people his power and control, he ultimately showed what a weak leader he really was.
It seems that at one point, Herod was willing to listen to John's proclamation of God's word, but Herod cared more about the world, which silenced God's message in him.
How is God’s message silenced in our own lives. Our Christian faith is more than just knowing about Jesus, more than just admiring him and hearing his word. Herod heard what John the Baptist had to say, even admiring it in some ways. However, as followers of Christ, we’re called to do more: to let the word of God find fertile ground in our lives, to let his word grow and become a part of our very being.
In the midst of the reality of our lives , the word of God speaks to us in our own lives, wanting to take root. All of us can be messengers of God's word in all that we say and do. We can bring God's word and God's love to others, no matter what is going on in our lives.
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