Today's Weekday Gospel is one that I would prefer never to read, and yet it is recounted at least three, maybe four times, in the liturgical year. It is the story of the death of John the Baptist (my hero!). But today I am struck by the characters and their qualities.
Herod (who has political power and position and anything else he wants, including his brother's wife) is controlled by fear. He is afraid of John's "ghost" (as he presumes Jesus to be, showing that he has been haunted by John's death ever since it happened); he is afraid of the people, who all thought of John as a prophet; he was afraid of what his party guests would think of him if he reneged on a promise. Herod is king, but he was a craven, slavish person. John, on the other hand, is utterly fearless, even though his life is in the balance. He is free and outspoken. Like Paul, he could say, "I put no value on my own life, if only I can run the race appointed to me" (Acts 20:24). And Herodias obviously put no "value" on life. She and John are, in their own way, the powerful figures in the story. Herodias didn't have to answer to anyone, and so she used her daughter to achieve her will. Maybe this is an outgrowth of women's position in society at the time. The only way you could exercise political power would be through ruthlessness and manipulation. Herodias knew that the way to control Herod's behavior was through his fear.
So you have Herodias, with her utter disregard for the value of human life; and you have Herod whose primary value seems to have been overweening concern for his own (ridiculous) reputation--his manhood, if you come down to it, and evidently there wasn't much there. And then you have John, whose life had "value" only insofar as it was given to his prophetic mission.
4 comments:
Howdy!!
I ran into your blog on a site (that I cant't remember), and thought how cool it would be to actually talk to a nun and all of that. Well, to be perfectly honest, I've always wanted to get to know a nun, but never found one that had a blog. Then I got a email from my mom telling me about blogspot and so I decided to come take a look.
I first fell in love with nuns when I read Debbie Macombers book "Changing Habits". That book is about three women who felt that they had a calling from God. It goes through there day to day struggles and rewards for being a nun. And the thing that she made most clear in her book is that Nuns are human beings. They are JUST like us, just married to God.
My mother and I have always had a high respect for nuns, and I thought that I had a calling to. But then I found out about the Air Force and me wanting to be PART of that (my stepfather was in the Air Force. I think I got that wonder from him).
When I found your blog, I think that right then and there, I found a perfect penpal. Not just because your a nun. It is because you are so much like me!! I would do exactly what you did with your spam blocker (by the way did you get that fixed? my dad can help you with that if you didn't).
Can you do me a favor? Can you tell your fellow Sisters that I REALLY respect them (and you!!) for what they are doing? I don't know if they ever get told that... but I would love it if you could tell them!! :-)
Good Luck and God Bless Sister!!
PS I just want to let you know that I am 14. That is probably the reason why I sound like... a teeny-bopper *big smile*
oh, and I have a question. Did you meet Pope John Paul II? If you did, what was he like?
What a fun blog you have! I hope you will get many hits.
And thanks for your thoughtful comments.
I "met" Pope John Paul three times, and sang for a Papal Mass, even though I didn't "meet" him that time. But unless you are a dignitary or have really good connections, "meeting" the Pope is really just a "meet and greet" opportunity. The first time I met the Pope, a large group of Daughters of St. Paul were in Rome (1985) for a pilgrimage. We had just printed a book of the Pope's talks, and Mother Paula made sure that a box full were delivered to the Vatican when we arrived in the Eternal City. And sure enough, just a few days before we were going to return to the US, we got a call to be at the Vatican for Mass in the Pope's private chapel, and a chance for each one to greet the Holy Father afterwards. Maybe I will post the photo from that. We were both mighty young at the time.
After Mass, we were led to a different room, and made to stand in a wide circle. The Pope came in and greeted each person individually. He took his time, making eye contact and letting you know that you were free to say anything and he would listen and take you seriously. When he got to me, there were many things I wanted to say, but I figured, "Hey, I'm just a 28-year-old. What can I tell the Pope?" So I just said, "Thank you, Holy Father." And he smiled broadly, saying, "Yesss," and blessing me on the forehead. (I was thrilled to pieces.) What impressed me the most was how he gave me his full attention, as if he had nothing more on his mind, and nothing better to do, than give me his time and attention. I think Jesus must have been like that with people. No wonder they followed him everywhere!
I sang for the Pope's Mass at Pentecost of the Jubilee Year. It was a Saturday Evening Mass, probably because to have a two hour Mass in the morning in June with 30-50,000 people would be too hazardous to people's health. Most Papal Masses are on Sunday mornings, or on the major feast days. Anyway, it was in St. Peter's Square, and those who attended tell me that the Holy Father was watching intently as I cantored the Psalm (in Italian, but with an accent that most thought was Eastern European). I was praying as I sang, asking Jesus to let my singing in some way participate in the Pope's own prayer. After Mass, he went in his Popemobile and blessed the crowds, so we did not get very close. The whole story is on my geocities site.
The other two times were when I lived in Rome, and they were just one day apart! (January 10 and 11, 2001.) The first day, I was with ANOTHER pilgrimage group of Daughters of St. Paul from the US. They had come to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Founder's inspiration before the Eucharist to "do something" for the people of the "new century" (the 20th). When they got "the call" from the Vatican, I was free to join them, and so I did! I posted some pictures of that on my geocities site. The Pope was in very poor shape that day, but he made the effort to give us his attention.
The next day there was the "baciamano" (kiss-the-hand) for anyone who worked for the Vatican's Jubilee Office. And after the "audience" (the Pope gave a short speech; 400 of us were all in chairs on the other side of the room), we were each allowed to go to the Pope's chair, kiss his ring and then LEAVE. We were warned not to take his time or say stuff. Needless to say, no one obeyed this regulation, including the Pope. He was in better condition than he had been the day before. Again, I didn't have any great thing to tell him (but now that he is dead, I regret that immensely). I just said, "Hi, Holy Father" (that way, he knew immediately that I was American; in fact, the only American in the whole group) "please give a special blessing to the Daughters of St. Paul in the United States." And he reached out and patted my cheek with a smile.
So those are my personal memories of Pope John Paul. May his noble soul rest in peace.
I vividly remember as a child hearing about John's death for the first time -- or at least "listening" to it for the first time. It haunted me! For days I had nightmares. I think it helped me understand not only that I lived in a mean and cruel world, but that I was also blessed to live in a loving family.
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