Lectionary: 187
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Gospel
December 13, 2010
Memorial of Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr
Reading 1
Nm 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.
Ps 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9 Responsorial Psalm
R. (4)
Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your kindness are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Gospel
Mt 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.”
Meditation: Matthew 21:23-27
“We do not know.” (Matthew 21:27)
Jesus wasn’t fooled for a minute by these religious leaders’ “loaded questions.” In fact, he was probably expecting them. Just yesterday, he had received a royal welcome in Jerusalem, driven out the Temple merchants, and performed amazing miracles. Many of the priests likely welcomed his insightful teachings and leadership. But for some, Jesus’ presence was upsetting. Eager to bully him out of the picture and return to the status quo that kept them in charge, these disgruntled leaders tried to trap Jesus by questioning his authority. But keen to their strategy, Jesus turned the tables on them. Using the rabbinic tradition of exchanging questions, Jesus exposed the motives of his questioners. These people preferred power and privilege over the truth and justice.
This story shows how important it is to be honest and forthright in our speaking—both with God and with other people. The starting point to any lasting relationship is honesty, and our relationship with God is no different. When we stand before the Lord with a pure heart, truthful about our failures and relying on his grace, he welcomes us with open arms, ready to fill us with his grace.
By contrast, dishonesty strains our relationship with God, just as it divides us from one another. Imagine how hard it is to stay connected to the Lord when you are trying to hide from a past sin. Imagine how difficult it is to experience his presence when you are still caught up in something that you know is unhealthy or displeasing to him. Your Father deeply wants to be with you, to heal you, and to help you—He loves you so very much!
So take a little time today to examine your relationship with God and with the people around you. How can you be more honest and open with the Lord? How can your friendships become just a bit less superficial? Perhaps there’s a relationship that is suffering because of harsh words or some other misunderstanding. Maybe you are having a hard time forgiving someone. Whatever it is, take it to the Lord. Remember: He is always ready to lift up the humble.
“Lord, give me a pure heart! Teach me how to be honest and open to you and to my friends and family.”
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