The story of the death of John the Baptist was very important to the New Testament authors and, hence, to the Church. We recognize the emotions swirling around the scene describing John’s execution. The vengeful wife, the seductive girl, the leering men, the boastful king are all types we know. St. Mark suggests that Herod did not want to execute John “but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her.” How often do we do things, or more often not do things, out of a fear of what people will think about us. Doing what is right is often costly because it makes us stand out from the accustomed way that the world operates.
