Daily reflection _ guide me and teach me

GUIDE ME AND TEACH ME
"Teach me Your ways, O Lord" (Ps 25:4).  
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
In today's Gospel, "the chief priests and the elders of the people who approached [Jesus] as He was teaching and said, 'By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority'" (Mt 21:23)? By what authority does Jesus act? The story of Balaam gives us a clue. The Spirit of God comes upon Balaam, inspiring his words. He declares that he "hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows" (Nu 24:4).
Earlier in the story God warns Balaam, "You may say only what I tell you" (Nu 22:35). God gives Balaam the authority to act and speak in His name. As we read the Scriptures today, we know that the people and their leaders knew that it was God who had given Jesus the authority to speak, too. They were moved and in awe because Jesus "taught them as one having authority" (Mt 7:29), and they "glorified God who had given such authority to human beings" (Mt 9:8).
This truly is a testimony of what life is all about. We too need God daily to guide and teach us so we can bear witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ, who gives us the authority to live, act, and speak on our journey of faith. In our Responsorial Psalm we ask God, "Teach me Your ways, O Lord" (Ps 25:4). Our witness, like Balaam and all the saints, will only be true and effective if God gives us the authority and we have the courage to respond to His will.