Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection December 16, 2024
Third Week of Advent
16th December 2024 (Monday)
Psalter: Week 3
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17a
When Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe, the spirit of God came upon him, and he gave voice to his oracle: The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of a man whose eye is true, The utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, Of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured, and with eyes unveiled: How goodly are your tents, O Jacob; your encampments, O Israel! They are like gardens beside a stream, like the cedars planted by the LORD. His wells shall yield free-flowing waters, he shall have the sea within reach; His king shall rise higher, and his royalty shall be exalted. Then Balaam gave voice to his oracle: The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eye is true, The utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, Of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured, and with eyes unveiled. I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel.
Psalm 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9 (R. 4)
R/. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Show us, LORD, your love, and grant us your salvation.
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel: Matthew 21:23-27
When Jesus had come into the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them in reply, “I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things. Where was John’s baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?” They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd, for they all regard John as a prophet.” So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” He himself said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Monday – Third Week of Advent
Guidelines: Where truth is falsified and denied, authority is abused and deteriorated. For truth is the greatest authority and fidelity to truth is the right exercise of authority
1. Jesus teaches and preaches, heals and exorcises, confronts, and challenges. The Pharisees and scribes and the Jewish authorities resent him but cannot resist him. They see the truth but cannot accept it due to self-righteousness. They see his greatness but reject it due to jealousy. They see God’s power but deny it due to their obstinacy.
2. So the best way to put him down and put a stop to his ministry is to question his credentials. Who is he? What authority does he have? From whom does he derive his authority?
3. In fact, Jesus already answered and clarified these. He revealed his identity, the source of his authority, and the kind of his authority. He is the Son of God, the Incarnate Messiah. He is authorised and empowered by his Father. And his authority is spiritual.
4. But his opponents are not bothered about these truths. They are not at all interested to know the truth. They are stuck only with his earthly identity as the son of Mary. They seriously object that he has no legal or juridical authority. Thus, he is breaching his limits and acting extra-juridically.
5. Jesus poses a counter-question. He pushes them into a dilemma situation whereby either way they get trapped. By whose and what authority did John the Baptist baptise? Where did his authority come from: from heaven or man?
6. We need not see here Jesus’ way of evasion or even his shrewdness. He refuses to answer them directly, just because they do not deserve an answer. They were not open to see the truth and accept it. There is no point in disclosing the truth to those who are closed.
7. How often we too are closed to the higher truth and higher authority? How rightly Balaam in his oracle indicates that openness to truth gives real spiritual authority!
Practice: He is open to truth and exercises true authority “whose eye is opened, who hears the word of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered.”
