THE BEHEADING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

Altar Server Prayer Before Mass: Father in Heaven, your Son Jesus Christ, showed his love for you by serving his brothers and sisters in need. I now ask you to give me your help as I serve you and your people. Open my mouth to praise you in word and song. Open my ears to hear your word. Open my hand to do your work well. Take from my heart all evil and distracting thoughts. Help me to know what I should do, and do it well.  Help me to serve reverently at your holy altar, and so give you praise ad glory, now and forever. Amen.

Mass Readings

John the Baptist

Take yourselves for instance, brothers, at the time when you were called: how many of you were wise in the ordinary sense of the word, how many were influential people, or came from noble families? No, it was to shame the wise that God chose what is foolish by human reckoning, and to shame what is strong that that he chose what is weak by human reckoning; those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen - those who are nothing at all to show up those who are everything. The human race has nothing to boast about to God, but you, God has made members of Christ Jesus and by God's doing he has become our wisdom, and our virtue, and our holiness, and our freedom. As scriptures says: if anyone wants to boast, let him boast about the Lord.

Herod sent to have John arrested, and had him chained up in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife whom he had married. For John has told Herod, 'It is against the law for you to have your brother's wife.' As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to  kill him; but she was not able to, because Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and gave him his protection.  When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.

An opportunity came on Herod's birthday when he gave a banquet for the nobles of his court, for his army officers and for the leading figures in Galilee. When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, 'Ask me anything you like and I will give it to you.' And he swore her an oath,  'I will give you anything you ask, even half of my kingdom.' She went out and said to her mother, 'What shall I ask for?' She replied, 'The head of John the Baptist.' The girl hurried straight back to the king and made her request, 'I want you to give me John the Baptist's head, here and now, on a dish.' The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her. So the king at once sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John's head. The man went off and beheaded him in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When John's disciples heard about this, they came an took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Herod : Herodias is it the title of the king and his wife? or the female name for Herod?

Almighty God, Father of all grace and favor, I thank you for letting me come to your presence each day. How good, how generous and how merciful you are.  Father remove from my heart any evil impulse. Give me a pure and loving heart. Give me the Spirit of humility to accept truth when I am corrected, may I never be repulsive/resentful to being corrected if I am going the wrong direction. Lord Jesus Christ my Master be my guide. Holy Spirit come dwell in my heart.