Today's Gospel - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings for today's Mass may be found on the back page of the parish newsletter. The newsletter is intended for single use - please take it home with you after Mass for reference and then dispose of it for recycling.
In today’s Gospel Jesus and the religious leaders in Jerusalem continue their tense exchange of questions and challenges. At this point the disciples of the Pharisees, together with the Herodians, try to entrap Jesus by their question about the payment of taxes.
Matthew sets up an unusual partnership between the Pharisees and the Herodians. The Herodians were supporters of Herod Antipas, a Jewish political leader who collaborated with the Romans. Such collaboration would have required a compromised observance of the Mosaic Law. The Pharisees, on the other hand, taught scrupulous observance of the Mosaic Law and opposed Roman occupation. Herodians favoured the payment of taxes; the Pharisees opposed it. The Herodians and the Pharisees approach Jesus, asking that he take sides in their dispute. If Jesus answers with the Pharisees, he shows himself to be an enemy of Rome. If he answers with the Herodians, he offends popular Jewish religious sensibilities.
Jesus’ response to this attempt to trap him exposes the guile of his questioners. From his first words to them, Jesus shows that he is very much aware of what they are trying to do. He asks to see a Roman coin, which is readily provided to him. It may have come from the hand of a Herodian, but the Pharisees show themselves to be quite willing to accept this compromise. Jesus has already exposed the Pharisees as hypocrites.
Jesus takes his response one step further. He asks that his questioners examine the coin. Agreeing that it is Caesar’s image on the coin, Jesus tells them that it must belong to Caesar. Avoiding the question of lawfulness altogether, Jesus answers their question with simple logic. Then, going further still, Jesus tells them that their obligation is to pay to God that which belongs to God.
Jesus’ response to the Herodians and Pharisees suggests the ethic that Christians ought to adopt. It reminds us of the importance of keeping things in their proper perspective. Do we attach ourselves to worldly things at the expense of the love and honour that we owe to God?
World Mission Sunday
Today is World Mission Sunday, which is held annually on the penultimate Sunday in October. It’s the one Sunday in the year when the entire global Church comes together to support mission and every single donation from these worldwide Masses goes to support churches, hospitals, schools and vocations in countries where the Church is new, young or poor. This is our chance to show love and solidarity to our global Church family. Through our prayers, we support missionaries everywhere in spreading the Good News and by donating we respond to Christ’s call to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. On this day the whole Church unites in prayer for its missionary activity, and in collecting funds to support Catholic communities across the world living in situations of poverty and privation. The need is even greater this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in countries with inadequate financial and medical resources. The theme chosen by Pope Francis for this year is ‘Here I am, send me!’ There will be retiring collection for Missio next week, Sunday 25th October. For more information about World Mission Sunday, please visit the Mission web site - click here.