Feast of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr
Heb. 13:1-8 | Ps.27:1, 3, 5, 8-9 | Mk. 6:14-29
The background for today’s readings is Love. If we have love for God and hold that love as the primary motivator of all we do; then, as the author teaches the Hebrews, all will be well. If we do not place this love of God as the primary aspect of our life, then we can be sure that our relationship with others will suffer. Herod, we see, does not have this love for God. He is more interested in love for Herodias, love for what others think about him, love for many things which will bring him pleasure.
This inordinate love gets Herod in trouble: first, by promising beyond his means to his step-daughter; second, by caring about his image and desire to save face in front of others. All of this prompts Herod to be willing to cut off John the Baptist’s head without hesitation. What brings a person to this point? Among the causes is a desire to satisfy every need no matter what or who the cost is. We are invited to ask ourselves, what would I be willing to pay for the privilege of being seen as some VIP? There are many ways to figure this out. Perhaps the best is to observe how I spend my day, with whom I spend it, and why I do what I do?