Render Unto God
on right-ordered allegiances
Announcements for October 17, 2020:
The weather looks to be clearing up, so let's plan on our (now) regular offering of Masses this weekend. I'll send a text/email update Sunday morning to confirm. If you haven't been receiving these notifications, let me know.
Our weekend Masses are: Saturday 5:15pm in the church; Sunday at 7:30am and 9:00am in the church; Sunday at 9:00am at Walmart; and Sunday at 11:00am outside.
Please be in touch with me if you need anything at all, or if you'd like to share any questions or concerns.
Dear Saints,
No doubt, you've heard the line before. In this weekend's Gospel passage we hear Jesus say, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” Jesus’ response to the Pharisees on their question of paying taxes is masterful.
The Pharisees are trying to pin Jesus down to one of two untenable positions: either proclaim that taxes need not be paid and suffer the full wrath of Rome, or admit that his kingdom-of-God movement lacks power to overcome the kingdoms of the world.
Jesus won't be baited. And by the time his opponents are handing him a tribute coin, Jesus has turned the tables on the Pharisees without offering an answer.
To understand the episode and its significance, we'd do well to see how Jesus frames the dispute. The charge he lays before the Pharisees is that they are hypocrites, play-actors. They talk a big game about God, but their uneasy allegiance with Caesar is their chief concern.
Not so with Jesus. His allegiance to God is his preoccupation, and he lives it out in all sincerity and integrity no matter the opposition. The kingdom of God will indeed overpower the kingdom of Caesar not by political maneuvering or a popular uprising, but by the victory of self-giving love.
If we make it our first aim to give God everything – trusting and following Jesus at all times and in every way – then the question about what Caesar is owed will answer itself in due course.
I love you, my friends, and I look forward to seeing you very soon.
Christ's Peace,
Father Daniel
δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ
Preparing for Mass?
Check out this weekend's readings:
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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The Tribute Money
Titian, 1516