04/02/2022

The religion of the Jews revealed to his Chosen People by the Lord our God, Father Son and Holy Spirit is coming to an end in Herod's palace just as its splendour is upheld by David's praise in the 1st reading.

The People broke the covenant too many times but the Lord still remains with them although their worship has lost its Temple.

Herod's fault is the simple unthinking sin of the drunken man who the next day is horrified by the previous night's stupidity.  Herod liked to listen to John but was "perplexed" by him. This Herod is in a few words made human and so we can pity him for his weakness and pray for the forgiveness of his sins.

We all are perplexed by the Word by the Being of God by His manifestation even more so than our wonder at our own being.

The scene in Herod's court is a prefiguring of the one before Pilate which happened only a few years later. The outcome of this confrontation was to be the Resurrection for which John's Baptism had paved the way. 

Dear Lord my sins are always before me as is my repentance, just as Herod I am all too ready to sin but have a conscience that looks for forgiveness.Let me too as did David "put all my heart" into this prayer and let me live without sinning "just for today".