Fr Agustinus Sutiono O.Carm

The death of Saint John the Baptist is important. His death was the Price of his love to God, to justice, to truth. John reminded Herod for the injustice that he committed. Herod’s power as a tetrach of the region encouraged him to put John to death. Although he did not have the right reason to do it, he permitted the killing of John because he wanted to save his own face from embarrasment before his guests. He devalued and sacrificed the life of John and surrendered himself to injustice, cruelty and to an unreasonable act. However, the death of John was more victorious and noble that the false victory of Herod. Herod was haunted by his own conscience.

Just is the character of God. Justice is His essence. The death of John is only valid for martyrdom because of his fidelity to justice, to the essence of God. It teaches us that a true faithful person to God is not the one who spends so much time in the church praying, but the one who is faithful to the essence of God. This type of faithfulness will only be recognised in actual works and deeds. That is why Saint James teaches us that faith without deeds is pointless. A true faith is justified by conrete acts which represent the heart of God.

In regard to the fact that Herod was haunted by his own conscience, we can learn how our conscience will remind us all the time after the wrongdoing that we have done. Our conscience works before the act takes place, during the ongoing action, and after the action. Before the act, it reminds us about what is good, beneficial, just and right. It gives us advices that help us to discern things before we decide and do or say. During the occurence, our conscience keeps giving us affirmation when things are right and in accord with justice and truth. If what what we do is not right, it reminds us to change our way, to choose what is right and prevents us not to continue. If things are already done, it praises and rewards us with a sense of peace and contentment when all that we do are in accordance with the principle of truth and justice. If what we have done is something wrong in the eyes of God, trespasses the principle of justice and truth, our conscience will accuse us of being unjust and not being righteous. Fear, anxiety and feeling of guilty will be the result of every transgression to the voice of our conscience.