Daily Bible Verse 101: The Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary Major.

Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary Major.

"Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants,

“This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”

"Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

"Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet.

"But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.

"Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”

"The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.

"His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother.

"His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus."

(Matthew 14: 1 - 12).

Saturday August 5th 2023, feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary Major.

This Basilica was dedicated after the definition of the Dogma of Mary as the Mother of God in the Council of Ephesus in 431. It was the oldest Marian Church in Rome and was consecrated by Pope Sixtus III about 435. The great Church was later renamed as St Mary Major.

Pope St John Paul II wrote that it is an objective truth that the Mother of God is the Mother of the Church.

Ephesus hailed Mary as Theotokus, Mother of God. Vatican II acclaimed Mary as the Mother of the Church.

In the Gospel of today, John the Baptist becomes the first casualty of the ministry of Jesus Christ.

John's whole life and ministry is to be the Voice of Jesus, to prepare the way for the Way. And finally to pay the supreme price of Discipleship.

Jesus preached openly on the cost of discipleship. My kingdom is not of this world. The best of my rewards will not be in this world, Jesus teaches.

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10: 28). The disciples of Jesus might have thought of this word as a hyperbole. Now John the Baptist has been beheaded. What may follow?

"The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” Jesus said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” (Luke 9: 22).

"Happy those who are persecuted

in the cause of right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5: 10).

Lord, grant us the grace to accept all the persecutions You send to us.

August is the Month we honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Mary says: "In the end. My Immaculate Heart will triumph."