Reflection for September 25 Thursday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 9:7-9

Gospel: Luke 9:7-9

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, "John has been raised from the dead"; others were saying, "Elijah has appeared"; still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen." 

But Herod said, "John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?" And he kept trying to see him.

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Reflection:

The story is told about a lady who was always burdened by her conscience every time she saw a baby, for it always reminded her of the child she had aborted. She had no closure with the mortal sin she had committed, and the weight of her past never left her heart. 

Perhaps the same was happening in the mind of Herod. He was deeply disturbed by the news about Jesus, and it came to the point that he thought John, whom he had ordered killed, had been raised from the dead. 

Why was Herod curious about the true identity of Jesus, and why did he burn with the desire to see Him? It was because he wanted to know if John, whom he had ordered killed, had truly risen. 

We too should have that same longing to know Jesus—but not out of fear or guilt, as Herod did. Instead, our curiosity should come from a heart that desires deeper intimacy with Him. To know Jesus is to fall in love with Him more and to allow our faith to grow stronger each day. 

And how does Jesus reveal Himself to us? He manifests through the poor, the deprived, the hungry, and the oppressed. If we truly desire to encounter Him, we must open our hearts and hands to love, serve, and care for them. 

Herod’s curiosity was born of fear, but our curiosity must be born of love. The question is: Do you sincerely long to encounter Jesus—not only in prayer, but also in the face of the least, the lost, and the lowly? — Marino J. Dasmarinas