1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus 2 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.”
3 Now Herod had arrested John, bound [him], and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, 4 for John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. 6 But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod 7 so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, 10 and he had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. 12 His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus. (Matt 14:1-12)
THE FINAL AND ULTIMATE CRITIC
Last year, 2022, a great Filipino, one of our literary giants, died—F. Sionil Jose, fondly known as Manong Frankie. It was an honor for me to have known him personally, to be a friend to him. My first chat with him was in 2007. Our meeting, an interesting colloquy on his works, lasted for about an hour. There was a tone of familiarity that pervaded in that quiet interlocution. I realized the reason for this: it was because I have known the author through his writings; I have savored the words and the experiences that they represented. Then I asked for the possibility of him giving a short lecture to my class in creative writing and he gladly acceded to my request.
The next week I brought the whole class to meet the man. They saw the literary giant and heard him speak about himself, about his writings and about aspiring to be a writer—different themes each of which deserves a whole essay or reflection.
Manong Frankie mentioned that there are certain professions which are more properly called vocations: the priesthood, teaching, the medical profession, and, he added with great emphasis, writing. He affirmed with solemnity: writing is a vocation because it is meant to serve. He says that a writer must be passionate, that writers are probably the most egoistic of people since what they write is about things as viewed by themselves. However, the celebration of the self must lead to a celebration that is much, much greater than the writer, something bigger, more meaningful than the self. It is this that will make the writing endure, that will make it stand the test of time. In this line, he adds that the final and ultimate critic is time. The greatness of a work will be seen if it withstands this test.
John the Baptist endured this test. His message was ever consistent and his person pointed to something much greater than him: Jesus.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. What is my occupation in life? Do I find this as a mission given to me by God?
2. Do I find my life as a celebration of something bigger than me, something more meaningful than just myself?
Lord, may my words and actions always lead to you.
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