August 29 marks the martyrdom of John the Baptist. It is a tragic event mentioned in the Holy Bible that has profound indications in our daily life.
"Before delving into the implications of this bloody event, let us refer to the Holy Bible as mentioned in Mathew14:
"Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet. On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus."
THE MARTYRDOM OF JOHN THE BAPTIST TEACHES NEED TO PRESERVE MORALITY
John the Baptist held Herod accountable; he was living in an immoral marriage with Herodias who was both his sister-in-law and his niece.
The manifestation of Herod’s immorality is shown not only in his licentiousness but also his impetuosity--by making an absurd promise to the dancing daughter of Herodias, called Salome--“half his kingdom” He might well have made this oath simply to impress his guests. Herod’s actions show the snowball effect of unchecked sin. From adultery Herod progressed to debauchery and ultimately, via his rash oaths, to murder.
Saint John the Baptist' life ended abruptly when he spoke the truth to power. He did not flinch or equivocate. He was imprisoned and then killed for defending the dignity of marriage. The lesson to be grasped from heinous crime is that righteous people are persecuted, considered as ‘bad’, and even liquidated. Societies are abounding with wrongful ways of life such as cohabitation or gay marriage? How can any form of perversion ever be accepted by God Who only blessed marriage between man and woman? Such acts prevailing in certain societies, that are abhorrent to the teachings of the Holy Bible, are wrongdoings that even violate the rules of nature. This immorality definitely causes the downfall of societies.
Herod thought of himself as invincible. But anyone who leads not only with injustice, but also with immorality, will always fall behind from true success, no matter how clever or skilled one may be. In many countries, cohabiting before marriage is even encouraged. Gay marriages have become a ‘right’ and ‘normal.’ Such societies are desensitized with such sins which are welcomed by the media.
John the Baptist gave his life as he defended morality which is a lesson to be thoroughly considered if societies are to thrive and flourish. So, it is not surprising that he was killed for speaking the truth.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA ADDRESSES THE CONCEPT OF FAMILY
Our Lady of Fatima gave a warning to the world that the last battle before the Second Coming of Jesus would be caused by the devil against the family. When the foundations of a family are shattered, because of immoralities, how can its members be viewed as doing goodness? Families are the cornerstone of strongly-based societies that stand firmly in the face of all demonic schemes.
One of Our Lady of Fatima’s central messages was to pray the Rosary every day for peace. Praying the Rosary is one thing that one can do to help change lives and hearts, and direct people to respect the sacrament of marriage which is the key to maintain families and to protect societies from corruption and downfall.
