It is 12th December 2016. The readings are from Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17; and the Gospel from Matthew 21:23-27. The first reading is a poem by Balaam in which the Lord instructs that one from the tribe of Jacob shall take the leadership and he will be a great king. “I see him but not in the present, I behold him but not close at hand: a star from Jacob takes the leadership, a sceptre arises from Israel.” (Numbers. 24:17). At the request of the king of Moab to curse the chosen people, Balam instead showered them with the blessing and a prophecy. No one can curse when God looks after us. In the responsorial Psalm we pray, “Lord, make me know your ways.” (PS. 24:4). In the gospel we see Jesus being questioned by the chief priests and the elders. They want to know where Jesus gets his authority from. We know that Jesus is a descendent of Jacob and so he is the great king spoken of in the first reading. However, he is also the Son of God and He is himself God and there is no greater authority than this. Do we believe Jesus as our final authority or are we still looking for someone having more power than Jesus? May you have a good day.