King Herod, the ruler of Galilee, a despotic ruler had the power over life and death within his territory. An unscrupulous man who marries a woman who happens to be both his sister-in-law as well as his niece (daughter of his half-brother). Here was a man who was prepared to promise the world to anyone who could satisfy his capricious nature. Yet Herod was a man who feared most - worried about what others might say of him. Hence, at the most crucial moment he bowed to popular opinion rather than remain steadfast to his own convictions.

On the other hand, we have the person of John the Baptist, a charismatic personality, prophet, seemingly powerless and weak. He stands revealed before us as the man of courage, who never minces his words even in the face of imprisonment and execution. He lived for truth and died for it. In all matters, his conscience remains clear - he acted only upon the conviction that it was God's will. Never once did he bow to the pressure of popular opinion nor to the dictates of the despot.

When we read today's gospel, we are not only confronted with these two men but also with the truth about ourselves. We too are an odd mixture of these two opposite personalities. How do we fare in comparison to them?