Daily Bread: The Martyrdom of John the Baptist

Antiphon

“The Lord is my strength and my song.” ~ Psalm 118

The Martyrdom of John the Baptist

17 Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.18 John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 Herodias  harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.20 Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him.

21 She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. 22 Herodias’s own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.” 23 He even swore [many things] to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 26 The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. 27 So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. 28 He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

The gospel reading today gives me a bigger picture of how it is to follow Christ. Things may not be easy. I may need to sacrifice for His greater glory. I may be hated for telling the TRUTH. I may be persecuted for following Him...

However, I believe that the Lord is faithful. He is just. He will never leave me. And that everything He allows to happen has a reason.

Good Lord, 

What You will let it be so.

Where You will there I will go.

What is Your will help me to know.

Because You will it, it is best.

Because You will it, I am blessed. 

Till in Your hands my heart finds rest.

Amen.

Daily Bread: Matthew 16:21-27

Antiphon

I call to you all day long, have mercy on me, O Lord. Alleluia!

Jesus Foretells his Death and Resurrection

21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. 22* Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”23 He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

The Conditions of Discipleship.

 24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.

The gospel reading for today reminds me of what St. Ignatius of Loyola told St. Francis Xavier significantly that Xavier decided to give away all his worldly treasures and become a missionary. St. Francis Xavier was at the top of his career back then. He was intelligent and very capable. He came from a well to do family. He had probably almost everything except God.

To not think of security in this time of crisis I'm sure is difficult, but to not believe that God provides this to us is all the more difficult. 

Today, God is reminding me that all my successes are graces He gave me. They aren't mine to boast of. They are to be shared to other people. These graces should not rule my life and destroy me in the process. 

God is the only source of joy. 

God is the only source of security and peace. 

God, therefore, must rule in my life.  

Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve You as I should.

To give and not to count the cost. To fight and not to heed the wounds.

To toil and not seek for rest. To labor and ask not for reward.

All I want is to do Your most Holy Will.

Amen.

Daily Bread: The Parable of the Talents

Antiphon

“Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm.” ~ Psalm 98

Parable of the Talents

14 “It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.15 To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately16 the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five.17 Likewise, the one who received two made another two.18 But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.

19 After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ 22 [Then] the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; 25 so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’

26 His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? 27Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? 28Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’

Today's reading reminds me of a virtue I learned from my alma mater -- that my life is not something I keep to myself and that my duty is to share this to others for the greater glory of God.

God probably wants me to carry on with what I am doing right now. To not mind the challenges that come my way. To have faith in Him. To believe that all shall be well.

"Lord, when I've done all that I could yet some hearts still I cannot move, please give me hope...so I may still be your heart for others every single day of my life."