About Today
Monday 15 December 2025
Monday of the 3rd week of Advent
Let us adore the Lord, the King who is to come.
Year: A(II). Psalm week: 3. Liturgical Colour: Violet.
Gospel: Matthew 21:23-27 The baptism of John, from where did it come?
At that time: When Jesus entered the Temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?’ Jesus answered them, ‘I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?’ And they discussed it among themselves, saying, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say to us, “Why then did you not believe him?” But if we say, “From man”, we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.’ So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And he said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’
Reflection on the painting
Authority has acquired something of a tarnished reputation in recent times. We have seen, painfully, how authority can be misused, how people entrusted with power can wield it to intimidate, manipulate, or dominate. A quick glance at the global stage today reminds us that leadership does not always equal goodness. It is no surprise, then, that many people instinctively question authority in a way previous generations did not. Against this backdrop, we approach today’s Gospel, where the chief priests and elders challenge Jesus’ authority. Our passage comes just after Jesus had entered the Temple, overturned the tables of the money changers, and driven out those who exploited worshippers. This was a bold act in a space the religious elite believed was theirs to control. His authority unsettled them.
And yet, at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, it was precisely this authority that drew people in. The ordinary men and women of Galilee recognised something profoundly different in Him. Matthew tells us they were astounded at His teaching, “for He taught them as one having authority.” Jesus’ authority was not the authority of domination but of revelation! So when the religious leaders ask Him, “By what authority do you act?”, Jesus does not answer directly. Their question does not come from openness but from resistance. Yet readers of the Gospel know the answer. Jesus acts with authority because He is Emmanuel — God-with-us. His authority flows from His identity.
As we enter more deeply into Advent, this becomes a gentle invitation for us. The Lord still speaks with authority; not the authority that frightens or crushes, but the authority that brings life. He speaks to heal what is wounded in us, to illuminate what is dark, to overturn the tables in our hearts that need clearing, to restore what needs renewal. The question is not whether Jesus has authority, but whether we are open to receiving it.
In Garofalo’s Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple, circa 1540,, we witness a vivid, almost theatrical moment of righteous disruption: Christ strides forward at the centre, arm raised with commanding energy, as merchants scatter in alarm, coins spill across the ground, tables turned over and doves are about to burst into flight. The temple architecture forms a grand backdrop, its serenity sharply contrasted with the commotion unfolding within it. Garofalo depicts Christ not as an aggressor, but as a purifier, restoring holiness to a sacred space that had been corrupted by greed.
Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple,
Painting by Garofalo (Benvenuto Tisi, 1476-1559),
Painted circa 1540
Oil on panel
© Alamy / National Galleries of Scotland
Monday of the 3rd week of Advent
Let us adore the Lord, the King who is to come.
Year: A(II). Psalm week: 3. Liturgical Colour: Violet.
Gospel: Matthew 21:23-27 The baptism of John, from where did it come?
At that time: When Jesus entered the Temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?’ Jesus answered them, ‘I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?’ And they discussed it among themselves, saying, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say to us, “Why then did you not believe him?” But if we say, “From man”, we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.’ So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And he said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’
Reflection on the painting
Authority has acquired something of a tarnished reputation in recent times. We have seen, painfully, how authority can be misused, how people entrusted with power can wield it to intimidate, manipulate, or dominate. A quick glance at the global stage today reminds us that leadership does not always equal goodness. It is no surprise, then, that many people instinctively question authority in a way previous generations did not. Against this backdrop, we approach today’s Gospel, where the chief priests and elders challenge Jesus’ authority. Our passage comes just after Jesus had entered the Temple, overturned the tables of the money changers, and driven out those who exploited worshippers. This was a bold act in a space the religious elite believed was theirs to control. His authority unsettled them.
And yet, at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, it was precisely this authority that drew people in. The ordinary men and women of Galilee recognised something profoundly different in Him. Matthew tells us they were astounded at His teaching, “for He taught them as one having authority.” Jesus’ authority was not the authority of domination but of revelation! So when the religious leaders ask Him, “By what authority do you act?”, Jesus does not answer directly. Their question does not come from openness but from resistance. Yet readers of the Gospel know the answer. Jesus acts with authority because He is Emmanuel — God-with-us. His authority flows from His identity.
As we enter more deeply into Advent, this becomes a gentle invitation for us. The Lord still speaks with authority; not the authority that frightens or crushes, but the authority that brings life. He speaks to heal what is wounded in us, to illuminate what is dark, to overturn the tables in our hearts that need clearing, to restore what needs renewal. The question is not whether Jesus has authority, but whether we are open to receiving it.
In Garofalo’s Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple, circa 1540,, we witness a vivid, almost theatrical moment of righteous disruption: Christ strides forward at the centre, arm raised with commanding energy, as merchants scatter in alarm, coins spill across the ground, tables turned over and doves are about to burst into flight. The temple architecture forms a grand backdrop, its serenity sharply contrasted with the commotion unfolding within it. Garofalo depicts Christ not as an aggressor, but as a purifier, restoring holiness to a sacred space that had been corrupted by greed.
Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple,
Painting by Garofalo (Benvenuto Tisi, 1476-1559),
Painted circa 1540
Oil on panel
© Alamy / National Galleries of Scotland