MATTHEW 14:1-3

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. 

Gospelthink: This is the beginning of the story of the martyrdom of my friend John. Am I prepared, if necessary, to stand up to someone who is not following the word of God?

Much of the movie "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" is devoted to the evil created by a man by the name of Professor James Moriarty. At one point, Holmes commented on his personality by studying the handwriting of the man, saying that he had a genius level intellect and a highly creative nature, but at the same time possessed acute narcissism, complete lack of empathy and a pronounced inclination toward moral insanity. If one adds to that list a desire to possess as much as one can, one can immediately sense what could result. Professor Moriarty was not evil as a result of his nature; he was evil as a result of his choice. Somewhere in his life, he realized his intelligence and creativity, and at that moment he made a decision to pursue what most people would label as "evil." The important point to be made is that he could have become something else. In fact, he could have been holy.

No person is intrinsically evil. Even the people of history that have been labeled as completely "evil"--the Nero's, the Hitler's, the Stalin's of the world--chose a path that led them to do the evil that became history. Lucifer himself, the primary example of evil, began as a good being that chose to disobey God, and therefore chose an evil way. No doubt it was the same for the person of Herod as Jesus and John the Baptist began their ministry in our world. Herod may have been influenced by his family and his environment, but even if he were guided toward evil in some way, ultimately it was he who chose to do what he did.

It is a well documented fact of personal development that we human beings are directed to action by the backgrounds from which we come. Generally speaking, if there is some kind of evil in how we were raised--whether it be from the unfortunate circumstances of our births or upbringings or a deliberate hurt imposed on us--there will be a strong effect on what kind of people we become. But at some time in our lives, we will realize that we must make a choice for our futures. For some reason, even with all of his abilities and intelligence, Professor Moriarty in the movie "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" chose an evil way of life.

Every one of us has a choice of becoming what we will become. Granted, the things that happen to us may alter what we may have planned, but in every instance at every moment of our lives, we choose. We choose a good or a bad; we choose to be a help or to harm; we choose what is right according to our conscience or we choose what our inner voice tells us not to. It really is up to us. We make the choice. We can become evil or we can become good. We can be saints if we want.

The message of Christianity is that if we choose with the guidance of the principles of Jesus Christ, our lives will be good. The Christian's task is to honestly choose what Jesus taught.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, you have created us to be good and your Son has further directed us toward the good. Give us the grace to withstand all of the influences in our lives, and help us always choose to follow the good, no matter what. Be with us, we pray. 

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme:  We choose to be either good or evil.   

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 60 minutes)
1. What scene during this session is most striking and why?
2. Project: make a presentation of Herod and his family as we know it. See Wikipedia or for a more complete history, The Catholic Encyclopedia.
3. What is the greatest evil in our world today? See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, numbers 2850-2854. 
4. Herod arrested John because of John's statements about Herod's action of taking the wife of another. In our world today, do you believe that most Christians choose a good sexual morality? Yes or no and why?
5. Project: present the story of the fallen angels. See Catechism, numbers 391-395.
6. Do you think that there are instances in people's lives in which they will always choose some evil because of their difficult upbringing?
7. The meditation refers to our consciences. Give your own definition of "conscience." How should a conscience be formed? See Catechism, numbers 1783-1789.
8. Analysis: Moriarty calls "evil" a "game." In what ways is this a true statement?
9. Analysis: Holmes' brother Mycroft. Describe his personality.
10. Analysis: Watson's stag party. Alcohol obviously plays a major role at the party. Does the portrayal of the use of alcohol in movies have an effect on the young people of our world? Yes or no and why?
11. Analysis: In today's world, is it necessary to have alcohol to make a party fun? Yes or no and why?
12. Analysis: should weddings have an element of the "religious" as part of them? Yes or no and why?

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America