Today is the solemnity of the beheading of John the Baptist; a very important witness for our time.

As the precurser of Jesus, John was martyred for pointing out the illicit union and invalid marriage of Herod Antipas and Herodius. According to today’s gospel, both were offended by John’s words. But notice their different reactions: Herod knew John “to be a holy and righteous man” and “was greatly perplexed by his words…[but] liked to listen to him” (Mk 6:20). Herodius, on the other hand, “was filled with resentment against John and wanted to have him killed” (Mk 6:19). These are two typical reactions to hearing an uncomfortable truth: a) feeling discomfort but wanting to hear more, and b) wanting to ‘kill the messenger’.

How many people today are in illicit unions and invalid marriages? And are we willing to ‘lose our heads’ to plant seeds of enlightenment?

This raises another serious question. Before the 20th century’s great revolution against God and His 6th commandment, most people waited until marriage for sexual union and cohabitation. Marriage was known to be a man and woman’s unique gift of self solemnly exchanged before God as a sacred covenant, mutually consented to and then consummated. That is worth celebrating. In Jesus’ time the party lasted a week. Today, premarital sex is the norm, as is cohabitation outside marriage; and many eventually enter invalid marriages, which are then accompanied by great celebrations.

Hence, the sincere question: What exacty are they celebrating? Is it just the state recognizing what they’ve already been living? Is this recognition worth a big celebration? And isn’t this post-Christian form of paganism, which reminds us of what prompted John the Baptist’s zeal and subsequent beheading, illogical…..and to use a word from today’s gospel, perplexing?