The Cost of Speaking Truth

Where We Are

Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time. The evangelist Matthew tells the story of John the Baptist's execution, one of the darkest moments in the Gospels. Herod Antipas hears about Jesus and assumes he is John risen from the dead, a guilty conscience projecting its fear. The prophet Jeremiah faces a similar trial: accused of blasphemy for speaking God's word, he is defended by the elders who remember Micah's precedent.

The Word

Herod had arrested John because the prophet publicly condemned his marriage to Herodias, his brother's wife. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous man, and he listened to him with a troubled fascination. But at a birthday banquet, Herodias's daughter dances, and Herod rashly promises her anything she asks. At her mother's prompting, she asks for John's head on a platter. "And the king was saddened. Yet because of his oath and because of those who sat at table with him, he sent and beheaded John in prison" (Matthew 14:9-10). A reckless promise, enforced by pride, destroys a prophet.

Today's Full Readings

First Reading — Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24

Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34

Gospel — Matthew 14:1-12

Read the full Scripture text

Continue Reading

Sign in to read the full devotional and receive it in your inbox each morning - a quiet moment of reflection to start your day.

Send me the daily devotional by email each morning

By signing in, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Reflect

Herod is one of the most tragic figures in the Gospels. He is not entirely evil; Matthew says he was "saddened" by the request. He recognized John as a righteous man. But his weakness, his need to appear strong before his guests, his foolish oath, and his inability to stand against Herodias, led him to murder the very person he knew to be holy.

This is a portrait of moral cowardice. Herod's problem was not that he could not see the truth; it was that he could not act on it. He was trapped by his own vanity, his public commitments, and his fear of looking weak. How many of our own moral failures follow the same pattern? We know what is right, but the pressure of the moment, the expectations of others, the fear of appearing foolish, pushes us to compromise.

Jeremiah's parallel is instructive. Like John, Jeremiah spoke unpopular truth. Like John, he was arrested and tried. But unlike John, Jeremiah was defended and survived. The outcome was different, but the calling was the same: speak truth regardless of the consequences.

John's death is a preparation for Jesus's own. The prophet who prepared the way also prepared the pattern: faithfulness to God's word may cost everything. The cross was foreshadowed in John's prison cell.

Living It

Reflect on a time when you knew the right thing to do but chose the convenient thing instead. What pressures drove that choice? Was it fear of rejection, the desire to keep peace, or simply the path of least resistance? Ask God for the courage to act differently next time, even when faithfulness is costly.

Pray for those who speak truth at great personal cost: journalists, whistleblowers, prophets, and pastors who refuse to soften the Gospel for popularity. Their courage sustains the Church and the world.

Notice when you make promises rashly, like Herod's oath. Words spoken carelessly can trap us in commitments that violate our conscience. Practice thoughtful speech today, weighing the cost of your words before you speak them.

Prayer

Lord God, you gave John the Baptist the courage to speak truth to power, even at the cost of his life. Give us the same courage in our smaller, daily moments. When we are tempted to compromise for the sake of appearances, strengthen our resolve. May we honor the truth, even when it costs us. Amen.

Today's reflection draws from Matthew 14:1-12 and Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24 (CPDV), per the Ordo Lectionum Missae.