Weekend Reflections for 10/20/17

Christian Responsibilities

“At that Jesus said to them, ‘Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.’” (Mt 22:21)

In Sunday’s Gospel two different groups join together to try to trap Jesus. There are the Pharisees who hate the Roman occupiers and refuse to pay the Roman taxes and the Herodians who favor King Herod and his family who are puppets of the Romans and follow their laws. They begin by sarcastically flattering Jesus to try to catch him off guard, but he recognizes their “malice” and calls them “hypocrites”. He asks for a Roman coin and then gives his answer, one that neither group can refute or criticize.

As citizens we have a number of civic duties and responsibilities. We have to take our turn on jury duty, pay our taxes and parking tickets and vote our consciences in the elections. We try to be well informed about national and local issues.

What of us belongs to God? EVERYTHING! All we are and all we have comes from the hand of our loving Father.  It is our God in whom we live and move and have our being. Our response can be Ignatius’ daunting prayer, The Suscipe.

“Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, my entire will. All that I am and all that I have You have given to me. I return it all to you. Dispose of it wholly according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace and that will be enough for me. Amen.”