Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church

And lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel abiding in their tents by their tribes: and the spirit of God rushing upon him, ³He took up his parable and said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man hath said, whose eye ire stopped up: ⁴The hearer of the words of God hath said, he that hath beheld the vision of the Almighty, he that falleth, and so his eyes are opened: ⁵How beautiful are thy tabernacles, O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel! ⁶As woody valleys, as watered gardens near the rivers, as tabernacles which the Lord hath pitched, as cedars by the waterside. ⁷Water shall flow out of his bucket, and his seed shall be in many waters. For Agag his king shall be removed, and his kingdom shall be taken awry. ¹⁵Therefore taking up his parable, again he said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man whose eye is stopped up, hath said: ¹⁶The hearer of the words of God hath said, who knoweth the doctrine of the Highest, and seeth the visions of the Almighty, who falling hath his eyes opened: ¹⁷I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not near. A STAR SHALL RISE out of Jacob and a sceptre shall spring up from Israel: and shall strike the chiefs of Moab, and shall waste all the children of Seth.

⁴Let all them be confounded that act unjust things without cause. Shew, O Lord, thy ways to me, and teach me thy paths. ⁵Direct me in thy truth, and teach me; for thou art God my Saviour; and on thee have I waited all the day long. ⁶Remember, O Lord, thy bowels of compassion; and thy mercies that are from the beginning of the world. ⁷The sins of my youth and my ignorances do not remember. According to thy mercy remember thou me: for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord. ⁸The Lord is sweet and righteous: therefore he will give a law to sinners in the way. ⁹He will guide the mild in judgment: he will teach the meek his ways.

℟ Shew, O Lord, thy ways to me.

And when he was come into the temple, there came to him, as he was teaching, the chief priests and ancients of the people, saying: By what authority dost thou these things? and who hath given thee this authority? ²⁴Jesus answering, said to them: I also will ask you one word, which if you shall tell me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. ²⁵The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or from men? But they thought within themselves, saying: ²⁶If we shall say, from heaven, he will say to us: Why then did you not believe him? But if we shall say, from men, we are afraid of the multitude: for all held John as a prophet. ²⁷And answering Jesus, they said: We know not. He also said to them: Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.