Gospel Reflections 800x800 gold outlineToday's Gospel: Matthew 14:1-12

Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

In many ways, the beheading of St. John the Baptist by Herod the tetrarch was an act of outrageous fear on the part of Herod and his mistress, Herodias. As a ruler of his kingdom, Herod feared the power that John’s preaching was gaining in his realm. He believed that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead and that was why he had mighty powers. Herodias, his mistress, feared John because he was preaching against her evil ways, and she wanted to get rid of him. When the daughter of Herodias asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter, Herod the tetrarch gave into her request because he feared appearing weak in the eyes of his friends if he did not heed her request. As Christian mothers, we are called to be strong in our faith and to persevere when we are afraid or when we face adversity. Christ is with us, and we have the strength to overcome the temptations and fears that we encounter each day, if we call upon the Spirit within.

Ponder:

How do you preach the gospel each day? Reflect on a time when someone was jealous of your faith in Jesus. How did you respond?

Pray:

Father in heaven,
Pour out your spirit upon us that
we may have the courage and strength
to boldly proclaim your gospel in
word and in deed to all those we meet.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.

We thank our friends at The Word Among Us for providing our gospel reflection team with copies of Abide In My Word 2015: Mass Readings at Your Fingertips. To pray the daily gospels with this wonderful resource, visit The Word Among Us.

Copyright 2015 Dr. Mary Amore