Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

 Lectionary: 429/634

This is the will of God: your holiness;
that you refrain from immorality;
that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself
in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion
as do the Gentiles who do not know God....

Saints Matthew and Mark, who tell us the story of Saint John's death, do not tell us why Herod married his brother's wife. It might have been economics, politics, or lust. But it was unseemly and, by Jewish standards, illicit and scandalous. Herodias apparently gained more by the union, and feared any threat to it. She sought to kill the prophet while the tetrarch was willing to let him molder in prison. But any of the vices, including lustful passion, will drive people to use insanely barbaric methods.

It should not be so among God's holy people. One time, before visiting two religious women, friends of my own age, I had some time to kill before we'd agreed to meet; and I stopped in a Catholic cemetery. The dead reminded me of who I am and who they are, and how I should visit them. It should not be lust. I should see them with the eyes of God, with that respect and self-sacrificing regard that belongs to everyone consecrated to God. 

As I have met with couples approaching the Sacrament of Marriage, I certainly would not ask them about their motives, but I don't recall anyone who seemed driven by lust. They had met one another's families, spoke of children and financial security, and were eager to practice their religious faith. 

Saint Augustine uses the word lust for any kind of curiosity that wants knowledge for no particular reason. Wanderlust is the affliction of one  who travels for no other reason than to see something new. Surfing social media and watching an endless series of short videos is a form of lust. I have never learned anything useful from that wasted time. Carnal lust wants knowledge which violates boundaries for no particular reason. It's a consuming desire, encouraged and justified by an aimless, perverted generation. It should not be so among God's holy people. 

Google AI lists several recognized saints who died as witnesses to the Sacrament of Marriage, including,

• Saint John the Baptist: He publicly criticized King Herod's unlawful marriage, leading to his imprisonment and eventual execution.
• Saint Thomas More and Saint John Fisher: Both were martyred in England for refusing to acknowledge King Henry VIII's annulment and remarriage.
• Saints Timothy and Maura: This married couple endured gruesome tortures, including crucifixion, rather than deny their faith and their commitment to Christian marriage during Roman persecutions.
• The Georgia Martyrs: (Blessed) Fathers Pedro de Corpa, Blas Rodriguez, Miguel de Anon, Francisco de Verascola, and Brother Antonio de Badajoz): These Franciscan friars were martyred in 16th-century Georgia for their steadfast refusal to allow a baptized individual to take multiple spouses among the Guale Indians.

During these barbaric times we can expect continuing challenges to the Sacrament of Marriage and the holiness of sexuality. The assault is coming from every direction, and many of the elect have been led astray. We ask Saint John the Baptist to pray with us for the courage to speak the truth and love one another with the affection of God's children, as brothers and sisters, husbands and wives.