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Memorial of St. John of the Cross
Numbers Chapter 24:2-7, 15-17A
Psalm 25:4-5AB, 6 & 7BC, 8-9
MT 21:23-27
Summary
The pagan prophet Baalam’s oracles glorify God and his Chosen
ones even though the Israelites are about to invade Balaam’s land.
He utters the words placed in his mouth and prophesies that a star
shall advance from Jacob and a staff shall arise out of Israel. The
Psalm further proclaims the goodness of God in His mercy to sin-
ners, and his guidance and teachings to the
humble. The insincerity of the Pharisees
and their hardness of heart is made clear by
Jesus as He refuses to be drawn into their
trap. He reiterates that His mission is to
teach and bring the good news to the peo-
ple. He will not engage in their games.
Baalam and the Donkey
Reflection
After reading several sources on the life of St. John of the Cross,
the best summary is probably his axiom: “The soul must empty it-
self of self in order to be filled with God.” Pairing this thought with
the wisdom of the readings, one might
come to the conclusion that God is our
merciful and loving Father who wants us
to return to Him in the purest form
possible. To that end he sent his son to
show us how to live and die. Most of us
will not be able to arrive at the single-