🕀 The Beheading of the Honourable and Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John.
All-Night Vigil Feast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
Acts 13:25-32; Mark 6:14-30.
Read Mark 6:14-30
The boldness of John the Baptist to speak against the sinful relationship of the ruling family parallels the boldness of Jesus to speak out against the sinful ways of the religious leaders that He was confronting. In both cases leading public figures are being reprimanded for their behaviour and will respond by putting the innocent to death. In the case of John, the man who sentences him to death Herod has no malice towards him and even enjoys listening to him speak, but because of the promise he made in front of his guests, he orders an innocent man to be put to death. Likewise, in the case of Jesus, we see Pilate questioning Jesus and finding no guilt in Him and yet to avoid offending the crowd of Jews who have brought Jesus before him, Pilate also has a man whom he believes to be innocent put to death. This pattern of speaking the truth to the leaders and rulers of the people and then being put to death for it is an anticipation of the many martyrs for Christ who have also throughout the ages spoken up for the truth only to be put to death in imitation of their Master. May we too have that same boldness to speak the truth to the authorities of our days even at the expense of our lives.