Although Herod knew John to be a holy and righteous man, he had him put in prison and ultimately had him killed. We commemorate today the beheading of John the Baptist at the hands of King Herod Antipas. It is a feast that originates in the celebration of the dedication, perhaps on this day, of the Church of St. John at Sebaste (Samaria) where, according to tradition, John the Baptist was buried by his disciples. As a penitential preacher, John did not shy away from condemning the unlawful marriage between Herod Antipas and Herodias, the wife of his brother who was still alive when this marriage was contracted. Although John the Baptist was opposed to the marriage based on moral grounds, Herod Antipas looked at it from a political point of view. He feared that it was only a matter of time before John’s influence over the people was turned into a rebellion against him. It is for this reason, more than John’s opposition to his unlawful marriage, that he had John arrested and imprisoned. Although it appears that Herod had no intention of killing the Baptist, the same cannot be said of his wife who kept looking for opportunities to do so. Her wish was granted at a banquet honoring her husband’s birthday. 
The account of the death of John the Baptist that we read today (from Mark) is given in the context of the beginning of Jesus’ identity crisis that reaches its climax in Mark 8:27-30. When Jesus began his public ministry, Herod had already put the Baptist behind bars. Shortly thereafter, John was beheaded. It therefore came as a surprise when it reached Herod’s ears that someone was out there whose work appeared to be a continuation of what the Baptist had started. Who was this man? And why was everything said about him reminiscent of his old nemesis John the Baptist? Had the Baptist come back to life in order to haunt him? 
The imprisonment and death of John the Baptist (or the martyrdom of John the Baptist as today’s feast is liturgically known) foreshadowed the passion of Jesus Christ. For even though both Herod and Pilate acknowledged the holiness of life of the two individuals, they nonetheless condemned them to death. In other words, it can be said that the two deaths had to take place. Moreover, the martyrdom of John the Baptist was necessitated by the role John had been sent by God to play: to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. Consequently, once his job had been done and Jesus had made his entrance onto the scene, he had to get out of the picture (or as he himself phrased it, “he had to decrease so that Jesus could increase” cf. John 3:30). The Passion of the Baptist was, therefore, a prelude to the life and ministry of Jesus. His death planted the seed for the ministry of Jesus. The Baptist “gave” his life for Jesus and is rightly considered a martyr. May we learn from him how to be strong in our carrying out of the mission that God has given us. Amen.