Jun 1 2024

First reading Jude 1:17,20-25

Use your most holy faith as your foundation

Remember, my dear friends, what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ told you to expect. You must use your most holy faith as your foundation and build on that, praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves within the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you eternal life. When there are some who have doubts reassure them; when there are some to be saved from the fire, pull them out; but there are others to whom you must be kind with great caution, keeping your distance even from outside clothing which is contaminated by vice.

Glory be to him who can keep you from falling and bring you safe to his glorious presence, innocent and happy. To God, the only God, who saves us through Jesus Christ our Lord, be the glory, majesty, authority and power, which he had before time began, now and for ever. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm 62(63):2-6

For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord, my God.

O God, you are my God, for you I long;

for you my soul is thirsting.

My body pines for you

like a dry, weary land without water.

So I gaze on you in the sanctuary

to see your strength and your glory.

For your love is better than life,

my lips will speak your praise.

So I will bless you all my life,

in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,

my mouth shall praise you with joy.

Gospel Mark 11:27-33

I will not tell you my authority for acting like this

Jesus and his disciples came to Jerusalem, and as Jesus was walking in the Temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, ‘What authority have you for acting like this? Or who gave you authority to do these things?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you a question, only one; answer me and I will tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism: did it come from heaven, or from man? Answer me that.’ And they argued it out this way among themselves: ‘If we say from heaven, he will say, “Then why did you refuse to believe him?” But dare we say from man?’ – they had the people to fear, for everyone held that John was a real prophet. So their reply to Jesus was, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.’

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Jesus, our authority

“You must use your most holy faith as your foundation and build on that, praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves within the love of God….” (1st reading). Let these words of St. Jude remind us that we must be faithful in our faith journey. Faith is a relationship with Jesus in which we entrust ourselves to Him. His life-giving presence in us shapes our values and leads us in how we live and love others. Thus, having faith as the bedrock of our lives involves a daily determination to seek Jesus moment by moment and be aware of His loving presence close to us.

In the gospel, the religious leaders were threatened by Jesus and wanted to know where his authority came from. We know that Jesus’ authority was rooted in the reality that He was God’s beloved son and God was at work in and through him. Jesus is our authority. He is the Lord of our lives. Today, let Jesus shape our lives and direct us in what we say and do. Following Him, we will experience the freedom of being God’s beloved children.

Reflective question:
Is Jesus the supreme authority, the Lord of my life?

Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year B” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.