Mk 11:27-33 By Whose Authority Do You Do These Things

In our first reading St. Jude tells us,
"Build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit.
Keep yourselves in the love of God
and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ
that leads to eternal life.
On those who waver, have mercy;
save others by snatching them out of the fire;
on others have mercy with fear..."

As we walk in faith, in prayer for help from the Holy Spirit, in Love with the Lord, and follow the precepts of the Christian life, we show mercy and love to others.  In the Gospel today the scribes and Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus in his teachings of love and mercy: those ways of healing.  They ask him by whose authority he does these things.  He tells them that he will give the answer if they can answer whether John's baptism was heavenly or divine.  In the end, they understand that Jesus' works come from the Father in Heaven, but cannot admit it.

Jesus' words and actions lead to eternal life.  He has given us the Spirit as our advocate to guide us toward that life.  May we always show love and mercy to others even in difficult times, and seek understanding and have compassion across cultures, seeking always to find Christ in others. 

Luke 3:10-18 Gaudete Sunday

Rejoice in the Lord always!  (Gaudete in Domino semper)

In today's readings the crowds are asking John the Baptist what they should do.  They thought because of his wisdom and because he baptized people, that possibly here was the long awaited Christ.  John tells them how they are to live, as justly, with concern for each other, and to be satisfied.  He assures them, no he is not the Christ.  That he merely baptizes with water, but the one coming after him will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire; that Christ will gather the wheat and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. 

John is preparing the way for the Lord.  He is teaching the people how they must live to prepare for Christ.  He is telling them of God's loving mercy that those who follow in the way of the Lord will by caught up by Him and kept.  They will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.  The prophet Zephaniah reminds us that in this baptism of Christ, God rejoices over us and renews us in his love.  How can we not be filled with excitement and joy at this?  The path to that baptism is the journey of love through Christ our Lord.