Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Authority And Person Of Jesus
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
The letter of Jude is close to apocalyptic literature and is rather severe toward those who are worldly, unspiritual, and cause divisions. Yet at the same time, he asks that mercy be shown to those who are wavering.
The Gospel shows us the Jewish leaders challenging Jesus’ authority over what he teaches and does because they feel threatened by his authority. Jesus does not give them an answer because they are not willing to accept him anyway, only trying to justify themselves. Neither they nor we can understand Jesus unless we encounter, welcome, and love him as a person.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
You are the source of all wisdom.
Speak your word to us today
and open our hearts to it,
that we may learn to look with Your eyes
to the world and to people
and that Your wisdom
may guide us in all we do.
We ask you this through him you sent among us
and in whom we believe,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
First Reading
Recommendations
But you, beloved, remember what the apostles of Christ Jesus our Lord announced to you.
But you, beloved, build your life on the foundation of your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.
Remain firm in the love of God, welcoming the mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord, which leads to eternal life.
And have mercy on some who are wavering;
others you will save, snatching them from condemnation. Treat the others with compassion, but also with prudence, shunning even the tunic defiled by their bodies.
To the one God, who can keep you from all sin and bring you, happy and without blemish, in the presence of his glory,
to the one God who saves us through Jesus Christ our Lord, to him be glory, honor, might, and power, from past ages, now and forever. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (2b) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
The Authority of Jesus
They were once again in Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders approached him
and asked: “What authority do you have to act like this? Who gave you the authority to do the things you do?”
Jesus said to them:
“I will ask you just one question, and if you answer me, I will tell you what authority I have to do this.
Was John’s baptism from heaven or from humans? Answer me.”
And they kept arguing among themselves:
“If we say that it was a work of God, he will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’”
But neither could they answer the people that John’s baptism was merely a human activity, for everyone regarded John as a prophet.
So they responded to Jesus:
“We don’t know.”
Then Jesus said to them:
“Neither will I tell you what authority I have to do what I do.”
Prayers of the Faithful
– That the Church may imitate Jesus and base its authority on service and healing, we pray:
– That those in authority may be humble and self-effacing, we pray:
– That we may recognise authority more in goodness and mercy rather than in power, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
You have given us your Son Jesus
to be with us and to show us the way to you.
Let him become to us a living person
present here among us
in these signs of bread and wine,
present also in people around us,
present in our lives
as our companion on the road to you,
For he is our Lord forever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, loving Father,
Your Son Jesus has been with us
in this eucharistic celebration.
Give us the wisdom and the humility
to accept your Son always
on his own terms and with his own authority.
May we thus come to love him more
and to live the kind of life
He lived among people
as the truth and the life and the way to you,
our living and loving God forever.
Blessing
Thank God that we believe in Jesus. May we also accept those who speak in his name. We ask the Lord to increase our faith. May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Jude 17:2 Ob-2 5
Mark 11:27-33
by Rolnd J. Faley
The letter of Jude is easy to overlook. It is only one chapter long and addresses a number of issues present in the community to which he wrote. There were evidently teachers departing from accepted Christian teaching, which was creating tensions within the community.
He reminds his listeners that the apostles themselves had predicted that there would be scoffers and those who ridicule the faith. But as for you, he says, stand firm. Be prayerful and persevere in the faith. Correct confusion; rescue those led astray.
With a total reliance on Christ, we will be protected from a fall.
Even today we can be misled. We must be wary of latching onto every new opinion that makes the rounds. On the other hand, we cannot be closed-minded. New insights into theological positions may convince us to change our perspective. That is an encouraging sign of growth. There is nothing that so ends discussion as the belief that everything important has already been decided.
The people who confronted Jesus in today’s Gospel had their minds made up before the discussion began. We realize that we are not all-knowing, nor do we claim to be. As Christians, we do however believe that Jesus taught with an authority received from God. New questions arise at every turn in our lives and in the histories of our communities, our cultures, our nations. But the Jesus of the Gospels is the same “yesterday and today and forever.”
Jesus’ enemies tried to trip him up at every turn. But he stood his ground with resoluteness. His manner of speaking left no doubt about the source of the authority with which he preached. If we respond to challenges to our faith with joy and courage, we stand in the truth, a truth that leads to eternal life.
Points to Ponder
Today’s problem: heresy or indifference
Fidelity; adherence to the gospel
The certainty of faith
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Mark 11:27-33
The hand of God working in us
Chief priests, scribes, and senior men - These three groups comprised the Jewish governing body, the Sanhedrin. They confronted Jesus about his chasing out the animal vendors and money changers from the temple the day before. They asked Jesus, “With what authority did you do these things, and who gave you such authority?” As authority arises from position, power, money and fame, it usually seeks to dominate and subdue the other. Those with power, money, and fame seek privilege and even try to control God.
The temple authorities believed they had already trapped him on the issue of authority. To be a teacher in the temple, you must be trained under a recognised Rabbi. Did Jesus have the required educational qualifications? They were unaware of any! Hence, the temple authorities wanted to discredit him before the people and stop him from teaching in the temple area.
Jesus turned the table back on them by questioning them about not accepting John the Baptist. They cannot recognise God as the creative force behind Jesus’ works without recognising or accepting John’s divine authority. Jesus did not pursue further dialogue with them. The ignorant one from Galilee outsmarted the elites of Jerusalem, their religious centre.
Today, the detractors of the Church use this act of Jesus cleansing the temple against the clergy and church leaders whom they do not like. We do listen to comments such as “If Jesus were to come back to the Church today, he would chase out our priests and church leaders.” But there is a difficulty with such comments: they try to assume the role of Jesus and decide what Jesus's likes and dislikes would be. In other words, they already judge others.
We too, of course, can have a similar blindness as that of the temple authorities. When questioned about John’s baptism, they preferred to play ignorant and blind. “We do not know” was their evasive answer. When we are preoccupied with our social status, power, authority, and position, we run the risk of refusing to see God’s presence and work in situations we do not want to see. We refuse to see the hand of God at work in people we do not want to see it at work. But God uses any person, any experience, good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant, to communicate with us. “Help me, Lord, to seek and find and respond to you in every experience of my life.”
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The chief priests, the scribes, and the elders: these were the three components of the Sanhedrin, the supreme religious authority of the Jews. It is very clear that the group of men who approached Jesus in the Temple in today’s reading, were an official deputation from the Sanhedrin. They questioned his authority to teach. When authorities are quick to question people’s authority, it is because their own authority is the uppermost thing in their minds. He had innate authority, but theirs was borrowed: that is why they felt so threatened. The weaker a man is, the more he will insist on his authority and privileges. I heard someone say: if you gave a man a nose who never had one, he would be blowing it all day! But Jesus was in no way intimidated by them, though they had power of life and death over him, as they proved in the sequel. Shakespeare spoke of “Art made tongue-tied by authority,” but Jesus was not lost for words; he defeated the official deputation in debate. Many a heroic stance by Christians was inspired by his strength, his manliness.
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Mark 11: 27-33
Stand firm in faith
The first reading for today is from the Letter of St. Jude. This letter is often overlooked because it has only one chapter and addresses various issues present in the community to which it was written. Evidently, some teachers were deviating from accepted Christian teachings, which led to tensions within the community.
The author reminds his audience that even the apostles predicted that some would mock and ridicule the Christian faith. However, he encourages listeners to stand firm in their beliefs, remain prayerful, and persevere in their faith. The faithful are also advised to correct any confusion they encounter and to help those who may have been led astray. The Apostle emphasises the importance of relying solely on Christ for protection against falling away from the faith.
It's possible for us to be misled even in today's world. Hence, it's important to be cautious and not blindly accept every new opinion that comes our way. However, being open-minded is equally important. We should be willing to consider new insights into theological positions and be open to changing our perspective if convinced. This is a positive sign of growth.
In today's Gospel, the people who confronted Jesus were not open to a discussion with Him as their minds were already made up. As Christians, we believe that Jesus taught with authority received from God, but we acknowledge that we are not all-knowing. New questions arise every day in our lives, communities, cultures, and nations. However, the Jesus of the Gospels remains the same: "yesterday and today and forever.”
If we face challenges to our faith with joy and courage, we stand upon the truth that leads to eternal life.