The Church before Herod

Stephen White of Catholic University reflects on the figure of Herod Antipas, particularly in the story recounted in the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus appears before Herod before he is sent to Pontius Pilate:

“The Church cannot preach the Good News if our efforts to do so are underwritten by an embarrassment at the supposed backwardness of the Catholic faith. We cannot be disciples if we are ashamed of the truths the Church proclaims. Constant efforts to dress the Church in garb more acceptable to worldly tastes do not serve Christ or his Kingdom. When we do this, we are like Herod sending Jesus away in contempt – sending him back to the world’s condemnation.”

Read the whole column.

*Image: Jesus Before Herod by Schiavone (Andrea Meldolla), c. 1560 [Museo di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy]