Jun 02., 2018   /   Homilies, Soul Food

“By what authority are you doing these things?” Quo warranto?

Jesus is asked: Quo warranto?

Have you heard of Catherine of Sienna’s letters? During her time, around the 14th century, if you receive a letter from this feisty nun, you would tremble. Pope Gregory XI did receive such letters. Pope Gregory was the last of the Avignon Popes, when the Papacy was transferred in France. Many Catholics wanted the Pope back in Rome and so Sr Catherine joined in this advocacy. She wrote extensively to Pope Gregory XI. She wrote, for example: “Since Christ has given you authority and you have accepted it, you ought to be using the power and strength that is yours. If you don’t intend to use it, it would be better and more to God’s honor and the good of your soul to resign! If I were in your place, I would be afraid of incurring divine judgment….Cursed be you, for time and power were entrusted to you and you did not use them!” (Can you imagine yourself writing Pope Francis those words?) Gregory relented and yet when he dilly-dallied, Catherine wrote him these scathing words: “Go, manly! It is God who moves you.” If you translate that in Filipino, it would be like, “Hoy, magpakalalaki ka naman!” One thing you can say about Catherine, she had no hang up with authority. More than titles, positions, privileges, she was concerned about what is right, what is truthful, what is proper, and what is moral and ethical. Which brings us to our Gospel for today.

In the Gospel today, the Jewish authorities—the whole caboodle of the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees—questioned his authority. Jesus, of course, had just cleansed the Temple of the sellers and buyers that were corrupting it. But rather than reflect on why Jesus did what he did, they were asking by whose authority (QUO WARRANTO!) he did what he did, and thereby missed the point. Certainly they were hang up, enamored, obsessed with authority, which for them was either the traditional Jewish authority or the legal Roman authority. But Jesus was neither one. He was simply a lay person. Does that therefore make his words and deeds not count at all? Jesus would expose them by the question that he asked them in return, about the authority of John. And in their internal discussion, they were exposed. If we say this…but if we say that. They were not concerned at all about the truth or what is right, what is proper, what is moral or ethical. They only wanted to gain political points. We can therefore reflect on the folly of these Jewish authorities. Are we like them, hang up, obsessed, enamored with positions, titles and privileges. Or, like Catherine of Sienna, are we more concerned with the truth, the moral, the ethical?

Homily of Fr. Nono Alfonso, SJ for Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (2 June 2018), Cenacle Retreat House.

Photo source: thegospelcoalition.org