From the Interim Priest
Dear People of Saint Mark's,
This Sunday's Gospel reading recounts the story of the beheading of Saint John the Baptist, one of the more gripping episodes in the New Testament. Since John the Baptist is often counted as the last of the Old Testament prophets, my sermon will be on the topic of prophecy in general.
We were having a discussion in the parish office yesterday about the Gospel reading and it came up that the daughter of Herodias, who dances for Herod, is named not as Salome but as Herodias, the same as her mother.
It turns out that the Bible nowhere calls her Salome. That name is given to her instead by the Jewish historian Josephus, who lived at the end of the First Century AD, round about the same time as the New Testament books were being written. I did not know that before I looked it up yesterday -- which reinforces the point that learning and growing in our knowledge of the Christian faith is a lifelong process for all of us.
In any case, it's a great story, wonderfully illustrated in many paintings down through the centuries, including the one below. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we explore its implications for us as we seek to live out our Christian faith in the world today.
With all blessings,
Father John D. Alexander
Interim Priest
| 
