GOSPEL POWER |MAY 29, 2021|SATURDAY | Saint Paul VI, Pope

8th Week in Ordinary Time| Gospel: MK 11: 27 – 33

Again Jesus and his disciples came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.” They argued with one another,

“If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”— they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

REFLECTION

Truth evades those who only want to play it safe, because  truth involves risks and exacts a price — the price of  letting go of one’s securities. The religious leaders want the  truth regarding the source of Jesus’ authority, yet they cannot rise  to the challenge of Jesus to say what they believe to be the origin of  John’s baptism. Giving an answer entails the risk of taking a position,  none of which is favorable to them. So, rather than risk, they take  refuge in playing ignorant, because that keeps them on safe ground.  They try to draw the truth from Jesus without being aware that they  are already in dialogue with Truth-in-person. Their antagonism  towards him prevents their hearts from seeing the truth

PRAYER

Lord, help us to be committed to the truth even at the price of our own  inconvenience, for only the truth can make us free. Amen