Jesus was challenging the authority of the religious leadership, and they felt threatened,

so they decided to confront him. By what authority are you doing these things?

Jesus so confident of His own power and authority. It is because it emanates from Himself.

It is a power that is Personal and not derived.

 

 

St. Justin, martyr

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Jude 17, 20b-25

But, most beloved,

Remember what the apostles of Christ Jesus, our Lord, announced to you.

But, dearly 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.

 

Try to convince those who doubt; others you will save, snatching them from condemnation. Treat the others with compassion, but also with prudence, shunning even the clothes that touched their body.

To the one God, who is able to keep you from all sin, and bring you, happy and without blemish before his own 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.

 

Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6 My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Mark 11:27-33

They were once again in Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him and asked, "What authority do you have to act like this? Who gave you authority to do the things you do?"

Jesus said to them, "I will ask you a question, only one, and if you give me an answer, then I will tell you what authority I have to act like this. Was John's preaching and baptism a work of God, or was it merely something human? Answer me."

 

And they kept arguing among themselves, "If we answer that it was a work of God, he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?" But neither could they answer before the people that the baptism of John was merely something human, for everyone regarded John as a prophet.

So they answered Jesus, "We don't know," and Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you what authority I have to act as I do."

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Who gave you authority?" 

Today's Responsorial Psalm expresses one's thirst for God. Deep within our hearts, we long for God. We search for God. However, we can only continue our search for God when we allow him to become bigger and ourselves smaller. It is John-the-Baptist-way letting himself to decrease so that Jesus may increase.

 

This is what Jesus refers to when he highlighted the origin of John the Baptist's authority. It was a heavenly authority because It allows God to be magnified. Unless we see our littleness before God's greatness, we will soon lose heart to continue our Search for him. Today's Gospel narrates that the chief priests, teachers of the law and the elders questioned Jesus' authority as to why he was acting the way he acted.

 

All they could do was to question Jesus' authority because they were in a state of stasis in as far as their search for God was Concerned. They got fixated with their own religious authority. As we enter this month of June, let us examine our life once again. What motivates us in the things we do? Is it God or something else?