Good morning, Good People,
May the Lord give you peace, health, and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is 29th August 2025.
We celebrate the memorial of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. We reflect on Jeremiah 1:17-19 and Mark 6:17-29.
St. John Chrysostom strongly points out, “It is better to lose your head than to lose your soul. John the Baptist was beheaded, but he was crowned by Christ.”
How truthful in our word and deed?
Truth sterilizes the soul. Knowing, loving, and following the Truth will lead us to God. People who live a compromised life are afraid to face the messengers of truth. Truth does not need a place to live in but a person. Standing for truth means standing for God. Truth never gets polarized unless it is mingled and filtered by people of lies.
As we celebrate the memorial of John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Truth, we need to abide by truth, not merely accommodate it. Truth is a fire in the human heart, and it ignites the clear conscience.
Many people have been sacrificed, martyred, and murdered for truth. Yet, with all the power in the world, truth cannot be killed. Truth need not be dug out from the valleys and meadows of human life; it sprouts and springs up in the well-watered soil of humanity. Truth outlives time and the test of humanity.
In the first reading, God promises the prophet Jeremiah that He will stand by him for standing for truth. He need not be ashamed of proclaiming truth amidst a crowd of liars: “They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you to deliver you.” (Jer. 1:19).
The responsorial Psalm praises: “I will sing your salvation.” (Ps. 70).
The Gospel describes the martyrdom of John the Baptist, who stirred the conscience of those who listened to him. Truth not only purifies but also renews and reforms the perspectives of life one is leading. Giving one’s life for truth is not always a chosen act, but truth consumes the one who listens with purity of heart. When there is resistance to accepting the truth, it is met with hostility and revenge.
Truth does not have eyes, but it has a penetrating presence that pierces the conscience. Truth is the light of our existence—it shines even when humanity has chosen a shutdown or suffers a shortage of all human resources. Truth warms love, dispels the darkness of our lives, and truth sets us free: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jn. 8:31–32).
May God always help us to be truthful and bearers of truth.
Have a lovely day. God bless you.