29th August, 2013 – Remembering the Martyrdom of John the Baptist
The call to be
prophets, like Jeremiah and John that we see in the readings today, is a call
that is addressed to every baptized child of God. The world seems to be at home
with a culture of sin today! Be it social or economic or political or cultural
arena – there is a cloud of sinfulness that pervades and waits to consume
everyone present. More treacherous is the lack of sense of sin, that justifies
sinfulness, sometimes without even the conscious assent of the persons
involved. The question today is, which part we would rather play: the seducing
forces that draw people to sin; the wicked plotters who play the protagonists
in spreading sinfulness; the passive infected who continue to perpetrate
sinfulness by their mere inaction; the silent spectators who aid the spread more than do anything to
stop it – all these groups are represented in the Gospel event today. There is also the role of
John the Baptist, who dares to stand for truth and righteousness, even at
the cost of his own life! What would be my choice?