＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Brothers and sisters, look and see whom God has called.

Few among you can be said to be cultured or wealthy, and few belong to noble families. Yet God has chosen what the world considers foolish, to shame the wise; he has chosen what the world considers weak to shame the strong. 

God has chosen common and un­important people, making use of what is nothing to nullify the things that are, so that no mortal may boast before God. But, by God’s grace you are in Christ Jesus, who has become our wisdom from God, and who makes us just and holy and free. Scripture says: Let the one who boasts boast of the Lord.

 

Ps 33:12-13, 18-19, 20-21

Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Mark 6:17-29

 For this is what had happened. Herod had ordered John to be arrested and had him bound and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod had married her  and John had told him, “It is not right for you to live with your brother’s wife.”  

 So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not   be­cause Herod respected John. He knew John to be an upright and holy man and kept him safe. And he liked listening to him, although he became very disturbed whenever he heard him.

 Herodias had her chance on Herod’s birthday, when he gave a dinner for all the senior government officials, military chiefs and the leaders of Gali­­lee.   On that occasion the daughter of Herodias came in and danced; and she delighted Herod and his guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you.”   And he went so far as to say with many oaths, “I will give you anything you ask, even half my king­dom.”  

 She went out to consult her mother, “What shall I ask for?” The mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”  The girl hurried to the king and made her request: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist, here and now, on a dish.”

 The king was very displeased, but he would not refuse in front of his guests because of his oaths.  So he sent one of the bodyguards with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded John 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 of this, they came and took his body and buried it.

 

 Gospel Reflection：

In 1874, the Dayak tribes of Borneo Island in Indonesia agreed to discontinue their practice of headhunting. Headhunting is common since the ancient times aiming for the head of an enemy, especially that of the tribal chief, as trophy. 

Getting the tribal chief’s head renders everyone in his tribe headless as well. The winning tribe then assumes rule over the conquered. The head of John the Baptist serves as trophy for both Herod and Herodias assuming it renders the disciples and the prophetic cause of John headless.

However, for the disciples of John, the head of their master is a trophy for their mission more than for Herod and Herodias. The beheading of John the Baptist initiates the victory of God’s mission over the ungodly way His people are ruled.

That victory will soon be completed by Jesus Christ, who is the bigger trophy, the bigger head.