On Sundays, the first reading and the gospel are meant to comment on each other. On weekdays, the scripture readings are simply read chapter by chapter, book by book with no reference intended between the first reading and the gospel. It is a happy coincidence, a providence, to have readings like today’s which serve as point/counterpoint. In the Book of Jeremiah we read: The priests and prophets said to the princes and to all the people, “This man deserves death; he has prophesied against this city.” The gospel from Matthew tells the story of the death of John the Baptist. At the request of Salome after her dance: The king was distressed, but he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison. These two prophets spoke the truth to power and it cost them. In a world with values so different from the gospel we should expect opposition when we call for a more just and compassionate world.
