“The revealing act of Herod is his treatment of John the Baptist. He had invited John the Baptist into his palace not to hear the truth of his preaching but to enjoy the thrill of his oratory. There are so many in the world that way: they do not want to be better; they want only to feel better. But John was not the type of preacher who toned down his Gospel to suit the paganism of his hearers. Because he condemned Herod’s second marriage, he lost his head. Everyone in the world at one time loses his head, but it is better to lose one’s head John’s way in the defense of truth, rather than Herod’s way, to wine and passion.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation (Characters of Passion)