Reputation Royalty and Ruin

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present truths from the way reputation impacts the lives of people. The Book of Sirach, written in Greek according to Friar Jude Winkler as a proclamation of the heroes of Israel, details the great feats of King David. The reputation of David serves to underline the intimate relationship between a leader of the people and God. The victories against enemies and building of a strong nation was intertwined with deep devotion to restoration of praise and worship of God. The serious transgressions of David brought deadly  consequences to his life as he also experienced forgiveness and reconciliation of intimacy with God. The episode from the Gospel of Mark where King Herod to maintain his reputation orders the execution of John the Baptist, the prophet who had angered his wife, Herodias, by denouncing their union as unlawful. This act is done in the heat of the moment without reflection even on the sense in his own being that John was truly a holy man, serving God. The consequence to the life of Herod is shown in the beginning of the passage where he hears of Jesus reputation and fears it is John the Baptist, raised up after he has killed at Herod's command.  Reputation is the story about our lives that can be example to others of the intimacy we share with the Divine  to which they are invited or it can be the sign of our continued enslavement to the ego, self aggrandizement and blindness to Truth.