.: † "Shall I Tell You . . "

Monday, December 16, 2024

† "Shall I Tell You . . "

†

Quote of the Day

"Let us love the Cross and let us remember that we are not alone in carrying it. God is helping us. And in God who is comforting us, as St. Paul says, we can do anything." — St. Gianna Molla

Today's Meditation

"I love the mystical body metaphor because it helps us understand so many Catholic doctrines. It provides a brilliant way for understanding how the Church is not primarily an institution but a living, spiritual organism that Jesus lives in and continues to work through in order to carry out this saving mission in the world. Through this metaphor, we learn that Jesus continues His saving mission on earth through incorporating - embodying into his mystical body - men and women who allow themselves to become His members and co-workers...The mystical body metaphor shows us that there are many members of the body of Christ, and because it is the body of Christ, it is permanent. Each member of the body has a particular function to perform, and each member is unique and important. —Donald H. Calloway, p. 70-71
An excerpt from Under the Mantle

Daily Verse

"Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be slaves of the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will receive recompense for the wrong he committed, and there is no partiality." — Colossians 3:23-25

St. Adelaide of Burgundy

St. Adelaide (931-999 A.D.) was the virtuous daughter of King Rupert II of Burgundy, France. She became the Queen of Italy after being given in marriage to the future King of Italy. When her husband died, she was imprisoned for refusing a second politically-driven marriage. However, when the German Emperor Otto came to rule Italy, she accepted his rescue and offer of marriage. They had four children, the future Otto II and three daughters, two of whom became nuns. Pope John XII crowned Otto the Holy Roman Emperor in 962 A.D., and Adelaide was crowned as the Holy Roman Empress. When her son, Otto II, succeeded her husband as Emperor, she was driven from court by her jealous daughter-in-law. When they both died, Adelaide returned to court to rule the empire as regent Queen until her grandson was of age. She used her position, power, and influence to help the poor, evangelize her people, and to build and restore monasteries and churches. She afterwards retired to a convent in Germany, spending her remaining days in prayer. St. Adelaide is the patroness of princesses, empresses, second marriages, widows, parenthood, brides, exiles, and abuse victims. Her feast day is December 16.

Monday of the Third Week of Advent

Reading I 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.

Responsorial Psalm 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9

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.

Alleluia Ps 85:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Show us, LORD, your love,
and grant us your salvation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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."

Daily Meditation: Matthew 21:23-27

By what authority are you doing these things? (Matthew 21:23)

Jesus had just overturned the money changers' tables in the Temple. Now he was back teaching the people. Clearly, this man was causing problems! Feeling threatened, the chief priests and elders confronted him, asking, "By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?" (Matthew 21:23).

Notice how Jesus responded to them: he answered their question with a question. This was a typical rabbinical technique that the chief priests and elders would have well understood. And because they couldn't answer his question regarding John's baptism, Jesus wasn't bound to answer their question regarding his authority. Clever, right?

Yet it was not just clever on Jesus' part. In exposing their unwillingness to recognize John's baptism as of heavenly origin, Jesus made clear the connection between John's ministry and his own. Both John's authority to baptize and Jesus' authority to preach, heal, and forgive sins derived squarely from God.

Of course, we believe that Jesus' authority comes from his Father. But how does he exercise this authority? He doesn't lord it over us; neither does he want to control us. Instead, Jesus uses his authority to set us free from sin and to reveal the tender love and mercy of his Father. The more we submit to his authority, the more we grow in holiness and the more we are able to reflect his love and mercy to those around us.

So we shouldn't be afraid to put every area of our lives under his care and direction— from personal relationships to family life to work and finances, and even our own desires and goals. As we prayerfully bring all this to him, he will guide our steps and help us to make godly decisions that bring glory to him and blessing to the people around us.

Today, think about an area in your life that you are struggling to surrender to Jesus. Recall how he exercises his authority, and then do your best to hand it over to him. He loves you and wants good things for you. So put your trust in him, and know that he will always lead you along the path he has marked out for you!

"Jesus, help me to yield more and more of my life to you."

Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17
Psalm 25:4-9

Reflections with Brother Adrian:

Click to hear Audio

In the Holy Scripture we hear today:

"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?
....." end Gospel quote, word of the Lord.

From Bishop Barron:
"The Greek word used for "authority" is most enlightening: exousia. It means, literally, "from the being of." Jesus speaks with the very exousia of God, and therefore, his words effect what they say. He says, "Lazarus, come out!" (John 11:43), and the dead man comes out of the tomb. He rebukes the wind and says to the sea, "Be still!" (Mark 4:39), and there is calm. And the night before he dies, he takes bread and says, "This is my body" (Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19). And what he says is.
Friends, this is the authority of the Church. If we are simply the guardians of one interesting philosophical perspective among many, then we are powerless. If we rely on our own cleverness in argumentation, then we will fail. Our power comes—and this remains a great mystery—only when we speak with the authority of Jesus Christ......." End quote from Bishop Barron.

From a Spanish Reflection today:
"This Gospel invites us to reflect on the authority of Jesus and on the importance of recognizing his divine power in our lives. Often, as high priests and elders, we may question Jesus and doubt his authority in our lives. But in doing so, we close ourselves off from the possibility of experiencing his love and transforming grace.
In this season of Advent, it is important to remember that Jesus is the true Messiah, the Savior who came into the world to bring us salvation. Let us open our hearts to his authority and allow him to guide us on our journey. May this Gospel motivate us to recognize and accept the authority of Jesus in our lives, and to fully trust in his plan for us." end quote Roberto Juarez.

Where was John's baptism from? That is the question of the day. Answer that riddle, and you will have all the answers to your questions today.

If they accepted John's baptism, shouldn't they accept the testimony of the one John spoke about?

John prepared the way, the hearts of all for the Messiah.
Some actually believed John. Others doubted.

Some that were baptized by John went to follow the Messiah, to be baptized by His fire.
And that fire would come after His death and resurrection, when He blew on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Do accept this testimony?
Do you accept this word?
It's easy to read about it and say yes with our mind, but what about saying yes with the heart?
They wanted to know why Jesus was smashing up the temple, they wanted to know why He was causing a commotion.
They wanted to know who authorized all of this craziness.
It was the author of life.
Is life crazy for you? Some are going through extreme hardships right now.
In our country, there is much sadness. How can this be in one of the richest countries in the world?

Isn't that crazy?

It is a dark world that lures us away from the pure joy of the Lord. In adversity, we are asked for faith.

In this time of darkness, they say many go sad. But instead of sadness, we should prepare for the light that is coming.
Our Lord shall come, and turn our sadness to joy. And may that time of being one of us, may He become all of us. One bread, one body, for the world to see the light forever.

audio

Random Bible Verse 1
Ephesians 4:1–3

Unity in the Body of Christ

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace

Going4th

For questions or comments contact Adrian@going4th.com. For more go to www.Going4th.com

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