By Leon Bent –
“The Church is built on the blood of the martyrs!”
The first martyr, as mentioned in the New Testament, is St. John the Baptist. Tertullian has been called “the father of Latin Christianity” and “the founder of Western theology.” He said, famously: “The Church is built on the blood of the martyrs”. The martyrdom of John the Baptist is one of the most gruesome stories in the New Testament. Yet, it is the story of the victory of faith and loyalty to Jesus. The brutal Beheading, of John the Baptist, is one of the oldest liturgical feasts in the Church’s calendar. Further, according to Roman Martyrology, this day marks “the second finding of his most venerable head.”
A Christian martyr is a person who is killed because of her/his testimony of Jesus. The word “martyr” comes from the word mártys, which means “witness” or “testimony”. Early Christians venerated martyrs as powerful intercessors, and their utterances were treasured as inspired by the Holy Spirit.”
John was sentenced to death and subsequently beheaded by Herod Antipas sometime between 28 and 36 AD, after he rebuked him for divorcing his wife, Phasaelis, and unlawfully taking Herodias, the wife of his brother, Herod Philip I (Matthew 14:1-12). John denounced King Herod Antipas, to his face, for divorcing his lawful wife, and taking as his own, Herodias, his sister-in-law, the wife of his still-living, half-brother Philip. John the Baptist died a martyr for the sake of marriage. Saint Jerome writes that, Herodias’s rage was not satiated by the grisly head of her tormentor on a platter. She then stabbed the tongue which had denounced her!
The drunken oath of a king with a shallow sense of honour, a seductive dance of his niece, and the hateful heart of a queen, combined to bring about the martyrdom of John the Baptist. The greatest of prophets suffered the fate of many Old Testament prophets before him: rejection and martyrdom. The “voice crying in the desert” did not hesitate to accuse the guilty, not even to speak the truth. Why? What possesses a man that he would give up his very life? Jesus’ the Messianic Redeemer!
This great religious reformer was sent by God to prepare the people for the Messiah. His vocation was one of selfless giving. The only power that he claimed was the Holy Spirit. It is John the Baptist who pointed the way to Christ. His simple style of life was one of complete detachment from earthly possessions. His heart was centred on God and the call that, he heard from the Spirit of God speaking to his heart. Confident of God’s grace, he had the courage to speak words of condemnation, repentance, and salvation.
Now, this gold nugget! Each of us has a calling from God to which we must listen. No one will ever repeat the mission of John, and, yet, all of us are called to the very same mission. It is the role of the Christian to zealous witness to Jesus. Whatever our position in this world, we are called to be disciples of Christ. By our words and deeds, others should realize that we live in the joy of knowing that Jesus is Lord. We do not have to depend upon our own limited resources, but can draw strength from the vastness of Christ’s saving grace.
The Punch lines! Saint John the Baptist, your penitential life ended abruptly when you spoke the truth to power. You did not flinch, vacillate, or equivocate. You were imprisoned and then killed for defending the dignity of marriage. Help all married couples, to be as courageous and work at their marriage, and not allow it to disintegrate especially for flirtatious, flimsy, lustful reasons.
And, this final flourish! Real persecution is taking place even today. Pray for those who choose to take a stand for the cause of Christ, and suffer because of it. Better still imitate them!
The last word! The Church, having celebrated the earthly birthday of St. John the Baptist on June 24, today honours the anniversary of his martyrdom. Besides our Lord and our Lady, St. John the Baptist is the only one whose birth and death are celebrated.
Leon Bent is an ex-Seminarian and studied the Liberal Arts and Humanities, and Philosophy, from St. Pius X College, Mumbai. He holds Masters Degree in English Literature and Aesthetics. He has published three Books and have 20 on the anvil. He has two extensively “Researched” Volumes to his name: Hail Full of Grace and Matrimony: The Thousand Faces of Love. He won The Examiner, Silver Pen Award, 2000 for writing on Social Issues, the clincher being a Researched Article on Gypsies in India, published in an issue of the (worldwide circulation) Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection, New Delhi. On April, 28, 2018, Leon received the Cardinal Ivan Dias Award for a research paper in Mariology.