"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience," (Col 3:12)

Mt 14, 1-12

Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesusand said to his servants, "This man is John the Baptist.He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him."Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prisonon account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,for John had said to him,"It is not lawful for you to have her."Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet.But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guestsand delighted Herod so muchthat he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. Prompted by her mother, she said,"Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist."The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,who took it to her mother.His disciples came and took away the corpseand buried him; and they went and told Jesus.

The word of God can find protection in me or be destroyed by my selfishness. Either regret or audacity. Regret leads to improvement, to knowing the full truth about oneself, to seeing oneself in the face of God and to changing one's life, to discovering that one has wandered in the wilderness of sin. My sorrow for my sinfulness awakens God's sorrow for me, a sorrow that withdraws His stern gaze, transforming His wrath into mercy. Herod could not do such a thing and became so bold that he killed the voice of God in himself, and thus destroyed the last good part of his soul. Not only could he not recognize his sin, because he knew what he was doing when he decided to have a sinful relationship with Herodias, but above all he did not want to cut himself off from evil. Perhaps he even wanted to do it because he was willing to listen to John, but at the decisive moment he trusted his position, preferring the word of men over the word of God. He did not cut sin with the sword of regret, but with the sword of selfishness and fear for his position he cut the only connection with God. It is certainly a matter of great courage: to stand up to people, not to care about their opinions, not to care about what they think, but to care about what God says, who shows me that my salvation is in danger, that I live in sin that I am losing myself in sin, from which if I do not get out of it as soon as possible, His compassion will end for me. If, instead of His Word, I trust myself or other people, I can condemn myself, cutting myself off from God's grace and love. And so, what if I grow in someone's eyes, if I gain human, fleeting recognition, what if others will praise me if I burden my soul with the yoke of sin? Which is better: a hero in front of people or a fool in front of God? Or maybe it's better to become a fool in the eyes of people, lose all their sometimes-worthless recognition and not regret that they were disappointed because I didn't satisfy their often selfish and evil desires? It is better to fail a man and lose his "grace" than to fail God and lose His grace. What do I regret more: that I failed God or that I failed a man? One regret leads to life, the other leads to death.

    Father Marcin Cwierz, OSPPE

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"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience," (Col 3:12)