And they came into Jerusalem again and while he was walking in the precincts of the Temple, the chief priests and the scholars and the elders came to him, and they said to him: ‘By what kind of authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority to do these things?’
But Jesus said to them: ‘I will ask you one question, and answer me, and I will say to you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John – from heaven or from people? Answer me.’
And they debated between themselves: If we say “From heaven”, he will say “Why did you not believe him?” But should we say “From people…?” – they feared the crowd, for all held that John really was a prophet. And they answered Jesus: ‘We do not know.’ and Jesus said to them, ‘Neither do I say to you by what authority I do these things.”
Teach us, good Lord,
to serve thee as thou deservest;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
St Ignatius