Commentary of the Gospell

August 29, 2022

Ask of a Lifetime

A young man was consumed with the desire to know life’s meaning. He heard about an all-knowing guru who lived on a mountain, who could answer him. However, no one before him had succeeded in reaching there, for the mountain was very dangerous to climb. Besides, the legend was that one could ask only one question to the guru. The man knew what to ask. And he resolutely climbed the mountain and reached the top. He was ceremoniously taken to the seat of the guru. To his utter disbelief, the guru was a young, beautiful woman. As he stood stunned, the lady guru said: “Ask your only question.” Stutteringly he asked: “Madam, are you married?”Think now: Of all the things in the world Salome could have asked for, she asked for the head of John the Baptist! What could she have done with it, unless she were a cannibal? What a waste of an opportunity of a lifetime! But, how different are we before God?

Paulson Veliyannoor, CMF - Claretian Publications Philippines