28 September, 2023 | Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel Lk 9:7-9 Learning to Forgive? Gospel Text: Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, "John has been raised from the dead"; others were saying, "Elijah has appeared"; still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen." But Herod said, "John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?" And he kept trying to see him. Reflections When we succumb to sin, it can blind our judgment. We may attempt to find ways to escape or rationalize our wrongdoing by resorting to lies and false reasoning. In the case of Herod, he committed the grave sin of killing John the Baptist. There were two paths he could have taken: repentance leading to entering the kingdom of God, or persisting in sin and facing eternal consequences. The story of Herod serves as a profound lesson. Repentance and striving for holiness offer a chance for redemption. If Herod had chosen to repent