Friday of Week 4 OT Homily

Very soon we will embark upon the season of Lent. During this season we will draw close to the cross of our Blessed Lord.

In our Gospel we encounter the murder of Saint John the Baptist. Here I see an interesting parallel to the Passion of the Lord which will be proclaimed on Palm Sunday as well as Good Friday.

With that we were told: “the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her.” From the Passion we hear: “When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourselves.”

Here we see the unwillingness to do something that one sees as wrong and yet despite this unwillingness they make the choice to do it anyway. So too with sin we must stay on guard in order that we rebuke it despite its effect upon us. To rebuke sin may keep us from being popular, following after the group, or being comfortable. We know that to embrace Christ can even bring about death as is seen through the witness of the martyrs. May we become convinced of this reality and thus proclaim Christ and Him crucified no matter the cost.