August 29, 2026
The Passion of Saint John the Baptist
Gospel: Mark 6:17–29

Today is Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates the Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist. The recently published Missal tells us: The Gospels relate how Saint John fearlessly condemned the unlawful marriage of Herod Antipas to Herodias—she had previously been married to his half-brother. The enraged Herodias had imprisoned him. In a moment of weakness, Herod promised to grant the heart’s desire of Salome, the daughter of Herodias. She asked for the head of Saint John, which was promptly fetched for her. Thus the Precursor of the Lord preceded his Savior through his passion.

Today’s Gospel passage from Saint Mark presents us with the narrative of the martyrdom of John the Baptist. I would like to take this opportunity to offer some reflections.

In the beginning, before we had come to know Christ, the merciful God, just as He continually sent the Prophet Jeremiah (cf. Jer 26:1–9), never ceased to send to us our brothers and sisters who have received Baptism in Christ, been born anew in Christ, and, through receiving the Holy Spirit, share in Christ’s divine sonship, His kingly, priestly, and prophetic office. They come to us and, according to our capacity to understand, proclaim to us the Gospel of the Kingdom. They strive to meet our various needs in daily life to the best of their ability. Whenever we experience the warmth they bring us, we too, like them, receive the one Baptism and the one Holy Spirit. In the Most Holy Eucharist—which perpetually commemorates the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ—we listen to the word of God and receive the one Body of Christ and the one Blood of Christ from the chalice. From the Body and Blood of Christ, we draw abundant nourishment, receive strength, conquer death, and attain eternal life.

In Saint John the Baptist, we can see a prefiguration of the passion of Jesus. Herod wanted to put John to death, yet still sought to spare him. The same was true of our Lord Jesus Christ when He stood before Pilate’s judgment seat. Saint Mark the Evangelist records: “As soon as it was morning, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin held a consultation; and they bound Jesus and led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate. And Pilate asked Him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ And He answered him, ‘You have said so.’ And the chief priests accused Him of many things. And Pilate again asked Him, ‘Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.’ But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate wondered.” (Mk 15:1–5). From this, it is not difficult to see that all that Saint John the Baptist endured on this day bears a striking resemblance to what Jesus experienced when He stood before Pilate and faced the judgment of a human tribunal. Herod imprisoned John because John, in accordance with the teaching of Moses, courageously reproved Herod (cf. Mt 14:4). Pilate judged Jesus according to all the procedures of a human court; the root cause, however, was that through His word and actions, Jesus revealed to the world a merciful God. The chief priests, elders, and scribes of the Jews, feeling their positions greatly threatened by all that Jesus had accomplished, sought to eliminate Him in order to preserve their own standing.

Dear brothers and sisters: Saint John the Baptist, undaunted by the power of Herod Antipas, remained ever faithful to the word of God. Even while imprisoned, he continued to explain the law of God to Herod Antipas, attempting to admonish him, until his martyrdom—thus giving us a living example. Today, we too are called to bear witness to Christ. When we bear witness to Christ, we must imitate the virtues of Saint John the Baptist, holding fast to the truth and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so that we may all be conformed to Christ.

To be conformed to Christ, we must interiorize the spirit of the word of God. The spirit of the word of God is love. Love enables us not to hate those who harm us, but rather to recognize those brothers and sisters who are in urgent need of our proclamation of God’s word, those who are in need of our care, and those who are marginalized and urgently need us to listen to their needs. When we obey the teachings of the Savior and follow His instructions to draw near to the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick, the imprisoned, and the marginalized, we bring not only our own love and concern, but also the love of Jesus Christ and Saint John the Baptist. For we firmly believe that the God proclaimed by Jesus is utterly faithful and abundantly merciful, and He is ever ready to rescue.

Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that your family may walk in the way of salvation
and, attentive to what Saint John the Precursor urged,
may come safely to the One he foretold,
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

©Totus Tuus 2026
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica