Authority

 Saints of the Day
Martyrs of Uganda
Blessed Beatrice Bicchieri, Dominican

Gospel

Mk 11:27-33

Jesus and his disciples returned once more to Jerusalem.
As he was walking in the temple area,
the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders
approached him and said to him,
“By what authority are you doing these things?
Or who gave you this authority to do them?”
Jesus said to them, “I shall ask you one question.
Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me.”
They discussed this among themselves and said,
“If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say,
‘Then why did you not believe him?’
But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”–
they feared the crowd,
for they all thought John really was a prophet.
So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.”
Then Jesus said to them,
“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

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Human reasoning cannot surpass divine thinking in any way, at any time. The blindness of the people confronting Jesus is stupendous. Totally convinced of their righteousness, they were incapable of seeing a divine truth or recognizing the possibilities that are in God's Will.

Even at the moment He was questioned, standing in His Father's House, the Temple built with such labor and over such time was  crumbling like any pile of mud bricks, and though it was constructed of the heart of mountains, is was no better than mud, and He already saw it tumbling down.

Question me? Take a look around, whilst you can still breathe and be, for as this temple will be pulverised by the Romans, you shall be called to the Father to account for your life.

Perhaps saddest of all, they did not realize they were blind. At least the blind man of the Scriptures, whom Jesus cured of His blindness was born that way, and did not study and practice it for years to no avail, not once recognizing the Presence in their midst.

And we are very much like those questioners who only wanted to have Jesus in their power, and to prevent the coming of His Kingdom, so they might continue ruling and regurgitating their bitter feast upon other people in an attempt to bind them and silence them and prevent them from seeing and they might remain in power. They were already prepared for the furnace. By His passion did He silence objections and establish truth with the creation of a new reality for all men, in which the cross was no playground, but was a tower of blinding light that will silence all.

Do you long for rest and peace, and search in vain for spiritual nourishment, regretting your sins and apparently powerfless to cease? God will bring your trial to an end, He will not leave you orphans, but everyone will see His love and He will gather everyone in affection to His Heart around which cold souls will warm themselves. Weak souls will leap up in strength, and the powerless will summon souls to judgement with no fear of being disobeyed.

Conquerors will be shamed, unable to raise their finger to point, bereft of all they took, and the lives of those they killed will pronounce judgement from the Heart of God to dispose of them, and they will stand helpless in regret. While men could embrace each other as brothers, they will suffer realizing that they squandered a great fortune when others seized His offering and were saved out of despair and sorrow, to feast on Himself. With grace abounding so much, do not despair in darkness but open your eyes to see the light which streams so brilliant all around you, for you have arrived at the feet of God.