“Saint Lucy” by Domenico Beccafumi, 1521 |
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.
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Commentary on Nm 24:2-7, 15-17a
This section of the Book of Numbers deals with the Israelite encounters in Moab. Within this context are set four oracles of Balaam, a seer called by the Moabite King Balak to curse Israel (Numbers 22:5). God’s intervention and ultimate conversion of Balaam causes the curses to become blessings.
This passage contains parts of the third and fourth oracles. The third oracle (v.2-7 above) sees the ultimate victory of Israel. This victory can be also seen as the final victory of the faithful in the New Jerusalem. The fourth oracle (v. 15-17a above) foresees the victory of Israel over its neighbors. The imagery, “A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel,” is also seen as predicting the rise of the star that heralds the coming Messiah.
CCC: Nm 24:17-19 528; Nm 24:17 528
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9
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.
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Commentary on Ps 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9
Psalm 25 is an individual lament. The sinful psalmist prays that “your ways” be made known. This request directs us to repentance and ultimately guides us to justice. In the first strophe of this hymn, we hear support for our belief that God answered the prayers of our ancient ancestors. Their trust was justified. The song continues as an individual prayer asking for guidance and salvation.
Gospel: Matthew 21:23-27
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.”
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Commentary on Mt 21:23-27
Jesus has made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem and has purged the temple of money-changers. He now encounters the chief priests in the first of five controversies. Referring to his purging the temple, they ask: “By what authority are you doing these things?”
We must understand that these leaders are fearful. A basic view of their faith is that there is a gulf that exists between the human and the divine. Jesus, in the previous two days identified himself as king, judge, healer, and teacher. [4] In doing so, his identity as the Messiah is being revealed, bridging the gap between God and man.
The exchange of question and counter-question that follows exposes the Jewish leadership as being incompetent to fulfill one of their basic duties, discerning true and false teachers. When asked about John the Baptist, they reply, “We do not know.” By their inability to decide about John, the most prominent figure in their day, they display their incompetence and free Jesus from submitting to their judgment. (“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”)
Reflection:
[1] The picture is “Saint Lucy” by Domenico Beccafumi, 1521.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume III, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 2012 pp.432-33.
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