SATURDAY AUGUST 3, 2024
SATURDAY OF THE SEVENTEENTH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME B
Jeremiah 26:11-16.24
Matthew 14:1-12
LIVING WITH GUILTY CONSCIENCE AND ADDING SINS TO SINS
Our human inclinations to sins exposes us to the routine of living in sins. By so doing, our already configured nature which leaves us with guilty conscience continue to add sins upon sins. And then we become obsessed, are turn apart with our sinfulness and amass much punishment.
Such is the case of Herod when he hears the fame of Jesus. His conscience continues to prick and disturb him as he recalls the atrocity committed against John the Baptist with his imprisonment and eventual beheading of John the Baptist.
For indeed, Herod had been challenged and publicly criticized by John the Baptist for divorcing his first wife for no reason at all and marrying his brother’s wife. John spoke vehemently against this injustice and this promiscuity which made Herod to arrest and imprison John. Herod could not contain the consequences of his actions of forcefully and deceitfully taking away the brother’s wife and marrying her with the reproach of John the Baptist.
The worse was even Herodias, who could not contain the criticism and reproach of John the Baptist. She invariably shows some signs of wickedness, evil mindedness, morally bankrupt and vengeful spirit. She sought ways and opportunities to eliminate John. And this opportunity came when her daughter danced and pleased King Herod who in his drunken and boastful state promised her anything she requested. Herodias ceased the opportunity to retaliate John’s repudiation of their illicit marriage and she demanded the head of John the Baptist which was the request made by her daughter as instigated by her mother, Herodias. And Herod obliged them and had John’s head brought in a platter thereby killing John the Baptist.
It shows that most times we are unable to contain sins and the guilt that follows us. We exhibit attitude of adding sins upon sins when at times our guilty conscience gets a bit of us. For Herod, his guilty conscience leaves him with a battered life, whereby he became afraid of any little thing, the fame of Jesus troubled him even, he became a shadow of himself, a mighty king without joy but a troubled heart. He could no longer coordinate himself and later his punishment was that he was defeated by Aretas, the father of Herod’s first wife who sent him and Herodias on exile.
For Herodias, she was a vengeful person filled with animosity and anger, and unrepentant spirit. Instead of accepting her condition of living in concubinage and being grossly immoral, she added more sins by plotting the death of John the Baptist. For her suggestion to her daughter of requesting for the head of John the Baptist on a platter was such a wicked act, filled with vengeful, unrepentant and evil minded spirit.
We must be aware of the evil of guilty conscience that is why the church encourages us to always use the sacrament of reconciliation to call to mind our sins and repent of them on time before they lead us into graver and more serious sins. The confessions we engage in actually limits our level of sinfulness also and cautions us against further sins.
We must avoid vengeful, wicked and distorted heart arising from troubled and unsettled conscience that continue to prick us and keep us scattered and unsettled. Sometimes this guilty conscience can also lure us into loose life of debachery, drinking, immorality and even depression. The sacrament of confession helps to bring us back, by our acknowledgment of our sinfulness, the desire to make amends, the grace to foster and return to ideal Christian life and above all the forgiveness of our guilt.
Let us always be prompt in settling our troubled minds by the use of confession or the sacrament of reconciliation.
Heavenly Father, grant us good hearts to always forgive and seek forgiveness of our sins. May we never be found living with guilty conscience. Help us to always purge ourselves of all sins and evils and to avoid vengeful spirit, wicked animosity and retaliation of any kind. May we live in your grace of forgiveness and savor the blessings you give as we make confessions of our sins through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
