On Unity and The Greater Good

Good Morning dear reader! Today is our last Saturday of Lent. Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, and thus will begin our progression into Holy Week.

Well, our reading in Ezekiel is really something. God is saying that He wants unity among His people and His nations. I'm sure that present-day Israel is still praying for this. And I'm sure that God is saddened by what it still happening there. His idea of peace for this nation never really came to fruition. If you take a look at verse 22 where God says "Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms", yet Israel is still divided to this day. I often think that if the Palestinians and the Israelis sat down together and opened a Bible, it would be the end of any war. There is no disputing what God's intention was for these people. Oh, if only it were that easy. 

What is astounding, though, is that despite the constant attacks, the constant war, millions of people STILL make a pilgrimage to Israel every year to walk where Jesus once walked, to see the places where Jesus taught and travelled, to touch the waters that Jesus once touched. The Jews and Muslims seek the same things. To walk in the places where Abraham and Mohammad walked, to soak in that holiness of that place, to visit consecrated ground and to just experience the immense history that is Israel. We need to realise that we are all one people, Christians and Jews and Muslims all speak of God, just in their own way. I pray that one day peace will come to those areas. That the three major faiths can worship in peace and safety. 

On to our Gospel... to start with, the Sanhedrin, they were the Jewish Supreme Court. They were much as our Supreme Court is today. They had the final say in rulings, both political and religious. As word of Jesus began to spread, as testimony of His works took hold, the Jews started to worry. What would happen if all the people started believing in Jesus and stopped believing in Abraham and the teachings of the God of the Old Testament? They felt threatened. It was easier to get rid of this Jesus than try to fight the people. Sacrifice one for the good of all. 

Jesus knew His days were numbered. He knew what was coming. He also knew the significance of sacrificing The One for the good of all. This was His destiny. So,

Jesus left the city and went to some place quieter where He could prepare for what was to come. To spend time with those closest to Him. He also knew that He had to leave because if the Jews spotted Him, He would be arrested, but it was not His time, yet. He needed to follow His Father's plan. And His being arrested at that time was not part of the plan.

Do you know what God's plan is for you? Are you following it? For those of you who, like me, have absolutely no clue what God's plan is, are you being patient and waiting to see what His plan is? Are you talking to Him? Are you actively paying attention to any signs He may be trying to show you? Take some time this week as we take that final walk with Jesus. You just might find your own resurrection story. 

Be blessed, dear reader. And, as always... be a nice human. 😇

Father Bill's reflection on todays readings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2Qs1M5mwLo

Today's Saint of the Day is St. John the Baptist. We remember his life and execution on this day.

Who's Who:

• St. John the Baptist was a cousin of Jesus, and his mission was to preach repentance to Israel in preparation for the coming of the Messiah.
• King Herod was ruler of the lands of Galilee and Perea.
• Philip, King Herod's half-brother
• Herodias, wife of Philip and niece of King Herod; would eventually become Herod's wife
• Salome, daughter of Philip & Herodias, great-niece of King Herod, would become Herod's step-daughter

Backstory:

While Herod was visiting his half-brother Philip, he became enamoured with Philip's wife, Herodias. After a time, the two agreed to marry, and did so before the death of his half-brother. When John heard of this, he approached the king and condemned him for his lustful and unlawful behavior. Upon hearing this, Herodias was furious and demanded of her husband that John needed to be punished for his disrespect.

And So It Begins…..

Herod, for whatever reason, was unwilling to kill John, so he had him imprisoned in the fortress of Machaerus instead. There he allowed John’s disciples to visit him and Herod himself had even visited with his prisoner. He found John to be quite interesting and conversed with him often. John's message of holiness baffled and intrigued him.

On the occasion of Herod's birthday, he threw a lavish party and offered his guests a great feast. Salome, Herodias's daughter, had even offered to dance for Herod's guests. 

Herod was greatly pleased by this, so as a reward he promised to give her whatever she asked for, even if it was half his kingdom (that must've been one heck of an impressive dance for the king to be willing to part with half his kingdom! Either that or she was just a massively spoiled brat.) Salome did not know what to ask and consulted her mother. Herod awaited Salome's reply with some anxiety. The king thought "what if she did ask for half his kingdom?" His guests probably thought that Salome would want some fabulous jewel, a dowry, or a pleasant house. Herod was truly worried, his reputation was at stake here.

When Salome returned to the king, her request was shocking: “Give me, right

now, the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” (Obviously this was the doing of her mother.) Herod was deeply troubled by this. The mood of a moment was costing him more dearly than he had anticipated. Herod regretfully ordered the execution of John the Baptist.

After his execution, John’s disciples took his body and buried it. When the news of John’s beheading reached Jesus, He went to be alone (Matthew 14:13). His cousin John had introduced His ministry, given Him his first disciples, and baptized Him. (When Herod had heard of the miracles that were performed by Christ, Herod superstitiously thought he was the reincarnation of John.)

It has been said that sometime later, parts of his remains had been carried off to Alexandria, Egypt where Christians placed them in a church (which is now the site of an Islamic mosque) especially built to honor the forerunner of Jesus. History doesn't tell us what became of Salome. As for Herod, his divorce from his first wife to marry Herodias led him into a war from which he emerged seriously weakened. He would later encounter Jesus and mock him. Finally he disappeared from history with Herodias at his side when the Romans forced him into exile.

St. John the Baptist is the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets and is highly venerated by the Church. The feast of his martyrdom is August 29th.