A Star from Jacob       

December 13, Monday

THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT

         “We want to be liberated from those illusions, frustrations, injustices and repression to which the modern world has subjected us in violation of its promises – this is what the young are saying, the disinherited, the automatons of modern technology: we want to be free persons, real persons, people rescued from hunger and from the spiral of incurable inferiority. Yes, answers the Man of people: come to me all of you who are in tribulation and I will console you. I am with you, with the power of the Spirit, not with violence and “but with passion.” Wisdom alone liberates the world.” Paul VI, Christmas Message, Dec. 25, 1970.

 

First Reading: Numbers 24:2-7,15-17a

The Spirit of God came on him, and he spoke his oracle-message:

Decree of Balaam son of Beor,
        yes, decree of a man with 20/20 vision;
    Decree of a man who hears God speak,
        who sees what The Strong God shows him,
    Who falls on his face in worship,
        who sees what’s really going on.
    What beautiful tents, Jacob,
        oh, your homes, Israel!
    Like valleys stretching out in the distance,
        like gardens planted by rivers,
    Like sweet herbs planted by the gardener God,
        like red cedars by pools and springs,
    Their buckets will brim with water,
        their seed will spread life everywhere.
    Their king will tower over Agag and his ilk,
        their kingdom surpassingly majestic.

Decree of Balaam son of Beor,
        decree of the man with 20/20 vision,
    Decree of the man who hears godly speech,
        who knows what’s going on with the High God,
    Who sees what The Strong God reveals,
        who bows in worship and sees what’s real.
    I see him, but not right now,
        I perceive him, but not right here;
    A star rises from Jacob
        a scepter from Israel.

 

Gospel: Matthew 21:23-27

Then he was back in the Temple, teaching. The high priests and leaders of the people came up and demanded, “Show us your credentials. Who authorized you to teach here?”

Jesus responded, “First let me ask you a question. You answer my question and I’ll answer yours. About the baptism of John—who authorized it: heaven or humans?”

They were on the spot and knew it. They pulled back into a huddle and whispered, “If we say ‘heaven,’ he’ll ask us why we didn’t believe him; if we say ‘humans,’ we’re up against it with the people because they all hold John up as a prophet.” They decided to concede that round to Jesus. “We don’t know,” they answered.

Jesus said, “Then neither will I answer your question.

 

Prayer

Lord, our God,
in a world of injustice, war and exploitation,
in which more and more people
have the means to live
but not many reasons to live for,
you promise us a star to follow,
Jesus, your Son.
God, keep in us the hope alive,
that he will come today
and that, if we are willing
to take the demands of the Gospel seriously,
we can become indeed a new people
completely renewed in him,
Christ our Savior, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

 

Reflection:

Clericalism Vs. Love

Today’s Gospel from Mathew presents Jesus being quizzed of his credentials – his authority – to do the things that he had done in the temple. What did Jesus do in the temple? The parallel text in Mark 11 tells the story of Jesus cleansing the temple which infuriated the temple authorities. The Chief priests and elders of the people approached Jesus on the next day and raised this question.

“Who do you think you are?” This is how they confront Jesus. “If you have no credentials, get out from here.” Sometimes, our churches and church-run institutions patronise this attitude of the chief priests and elders to overrule the concerns and voices of the faithful. Deep rooted clericalism in the Church and its institutions sometimes turn pastors into dictators and autocrats who wield their “authority” to rule over their faithful, and to suppress disagreeing voices. This is where Pope Francis opens wide the windows of the Church, calling for a synodal Church.

the chief priests and elders who questioned Jesus’ authority were hypocrites. They focused only on slavishly following rules and rituals, and criticized those who did not. “By What authority do you do this?” The elders are in effect telling Jesus, “We are the people who are authorised to do things here. The discipline of the temple is untouchable, it is sacred.”

Pope Francis compared their attitude to the situation when he was a boy and it was forbidden for anyone to have anything to eat or drink or even accidentally swallow a drop of water while brushing the teeth before receiving Communion.
The pope said, as a boy he went to confess that he had received Communion even though he thought a drop of water had gone down” that morning.
“Pope Pius XII freed us from that heavy cross of eucharistic fasting,” he said. But when the pope changed the rules, there were people who termed it as heresy! Because he touched the discipline of the church. But Pope Pius had done only what Jesus would have, Pope Francis said. “Pope Pius saw the people suffering, especially when it was hot… But, Many Pharisees in the Church were scandalized. Many.”
There are many pharisees around even today, with so rigid a mind-set that refuses God’s mercy and compassion. Sometimes we behave with the pharisaic attitude and refuse to be cleansed of our hypocrisy. We quote the bible and the church-regulations to prove the other wrong.
The Gospel invites us to examine how do we exercise authority in our own lives – as parents, teachers, employers, priests, religious or in any capacity where we have some responsibility with regard to others.

 

Video available on Youtube : Clericalism Vs. Love