The Price of Discipleship: The Death of John the Baptist

Daily Mass Reflection

August 2, 2025

Readings:

• Old Testament: Leviticus 25:1, 8–17

• Psalm: 67:2–3, 5, 7–8

• Gospel: Matthew 14:1–12

Today’s readings are both solemn and powerful.

In Leviticus, God speaks to Moses about the sacred rhythm of time, the seven cycles of seven years, culminating in the Year of Jubilee, a time of liberation and renewal:

“You shall consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you.” (Leviticus 25:10)

On the Day of Atonement, the trumpet is to resound across the land, announcing freedom, restoration, and a return to right relationships. This is not merely about the passage of time, but about a spiritual reset, a divine call to forgive debts, free the oppressed, and recognize that everything belongs to the Lord:

“The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants.” (Leviticus 25:23)

We should all embrace this spirit now and then, choose to forgive those who have wronged us or owe us, whether emotionally, spiritually, or materially. Let mercy mark our relationships.

The Responsorial Psalm echoes the dominion of God’s reign across all the earth:

“May God be gracious to us and bless us; may his face shine upon us... That your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.” (Psalm 67:1–2)

 

“O God, let all the nations praise you!” (Psalm 67:3)

It is a cry for justice, joy, and divine order, a longing for all people to experience the saving power of God.

In the Gospel (Matthew 14:1–12), we confront the cost of truth and integrity through the brutal martyrdom of John the Baptist. He dared to speak truth to power, he boldly confronted Herod over his unlawful relationship with Herodias, and for that, he paid the ultimate price:

“And he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother.” (Matthew 14:10–11)

Most of us will never be asked to give our lives in such a dramatic way, at least not in this part of the world. But following Christ still demands a real cost. We might be misunderstood, excluded, or even outright rejected for the truths we stand by and the values we live. We may not lose our heads, but we might lose our comfort, our invitations, or the approval of others.

So I ask you my friends, what price are you and I willing to pay to live out the truths we hold dear?

Will you hold your ground when it would be easier to stay silent?

Will you risk being uninvited from the table in order to remain faithful to your conscience?

These are not small questions. They are heavy, and they sit at the very heart of discipleship.

And may we both have the courage to stand for what is true, no matter the cost.

I remain your pal,
Ronnie