The gospel reading tells us that Herod was perplexed by the reports about Jesus and “he kept trying to see him.” This is strange since all Herod would have had to do to see Jesus was to follow the crowds who were going out to hear Jesus preach. Yet the Gospels are devoid of any mention of royalty joining the throng. The only time we hear of Jesus and Herod encountering each other is later in the Gospel of Luke when, during the Passion, Pilate sends Jesus to Herod in the hope of having Herod take care of this troublesome matter.
Herod does not seem to grasp the point of what is happening nor does he appear to take the opportunity to learn about Jesus. He kept “trying” to see him but did not take the necessary steps to accomplish it. Are we like that? Do we fail to move on the impulse to come closer to Christ? To our neighbor? Do we miss the chance to develop a relationship with Christ?
A Bag with Holes in It
Today is also the memorial of two martyrs, St. Wenceslaus and St. Lawrence Ruiz. I recently read a news account about a group of pro-life students who had to be escorted off campus by police after being set upon by another group of students who did not share their views. It was upsetting to see it and I did wonder why the disruptive students were not the ones escorted off campus. But it caused me to reflect on how I would respond (the pro-life students seemed to have handled the situation well).
The “house of the Lord” referenced in the reading from the prophet Haggai may include martyrdoms of various sorts. We may be asked to embrace these. Still, the question of how we respond to attacks on our beliefs is a difficult one. If we become angry and derisive, our devotion to our values could end up as a “bag with holes in it.” The pro-life students reported that before this incident they had good, productive conversations with a number of people. It is that dynamic which is the important thing to remember. Did we reach out? Did we connect? And did we build the house of God in so doing?
