Beheading of St John the Baptist (August 29)

You should not, Herod, have condemned to death the one who denounced your adultery, the result of satanic love and the insane passion of lust. You should not have perilously handed over his all-honored head to a lawless woman because of an oath made for a dance. How did you dare to accomplish such a murder? How was the wanton dancing girl not consumed by fire in the middle of the banquet as she brought this head in on a dish? But we, as we fittingly honor the Baptist as greatest among the offspring of women, call him blessed.

As shameless Herod's birthday was being celebrated the terms of the oath to the wanton dancing girl were fulfilled; for the head of the Forerunner was struck off and brought in on a dish like a delicacy for those at table. O hateful banquet, full of impious behavior and bloodthirsty murder! But we, as we fittingly honor the Baptist as greatest among the offspring of women, call him blessed. (Verses at Vespers for the Beheading of the Forerunner)

Certain things stand out about the story (Mark 6:14-30) upon which our feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist (or Forerunner) is based. One is the way in which booze and sex can be a powerful and destructive mix. Another is how sexual infatuation can lead all kinds of melodrama and wickedness. Drunkenness is shown to be stupid, heavy-handed, abusive. Another theme is how manipulative, cunning and spiteful close family members in dysfunctional families can be.

On the positive side, John the Baptist is revealed as a good example of truth speaking to power and of martyrdom as manifestation of grace. The story is a lurid one; it is also a sort of morality tale.

A man of great power and influence and political importance, Herod was also superstitious, immoral, and easily manipulated. How tragic it is when personal failings have such repercussions, not only in the lives of the powerful, famous, glamorous and influential, but even among ordinary men and women - like us! Whatever our status in life, this story poses the question: will we be weak or strong? Like Herod or like John the Baptist? John loses his head, but as a martyr, and a man with strong, lived-out moral and spiritual convictions, he wins his soul. Herod loses both his head (figuratively here in this story; he goes insane later) and his soul - and all because of his worries over his self-image and his terrible self-indulgence.

Forerunner of the Savior, you rebuked kings that they should not act lawlessly; and so the little darling of a lawless woman persuaded Herod to cut off your head, and therefore from the rising of the sun to its setting your name is to be praised. As you have freedom before the Lord intercede insistently for our souls.

- Fr. Andrew