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| "Saint Boniface" by Cornelis Bloemaert, c. 1630 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: 2 Peter 3:12-15a, 17-18
Commentary on 2 Pt 3:12-15a, 17-18
St. Peter begins this passage reaffirming the Parousia (the second coming and the apocalypse). Because they understand that the day is coming and they will be called to account for their actions, they are exhorted to watch out for false teachers (“…be on your guard not to be led into the error of the unprincipled”). They are called to remain faithful to the gospel they have been given, and thereby grow in faith.
CCC: 2 Pt 3:11-12 671; 2 Pt 3:12-13 677; 2 Pt 3:13 1043, 1405
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 90:2, 3-4, 10, 14 and 16
R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Commentary on Ps 90:2, 3-4, 10, 14 and 16
The psalm in its entirety is a communal lament. The strophes in this selection reflect on the mortality of humanity, and the brevity of human life. (It is also an example of the human understanding that God’s immortal view of time is not like ours.) The recollection of God’s creative impulse recalls the Genesis creation event, while final strophe brings us back rejoicing for God’s great mercy.
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Gospel: Mark 12:13-17
Commentary on Mk 12:13-17
In this account (similar to Matthew 22:15-22), the Pharisees and Herodians attempt to trap Jesus by asking if people should pay taxes to Caesar. If he agrees with the Herodians (who would want the tax to be paid) he would be trapped because he was authorizing tribute to one who claimed to be a god, violating Jewish Law. If he sided with the Pharisees against the Herodians, he would be in conflict with civil law and be taken before the Roman authorities.
Jesus saw the trap and avoided it, using the powerful argument for the separation of church and state by the famous statement: “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
CCC: Mk 12:17 450
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Reflection:
"Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
We are sure the IRS would be pleased with Jesus' response if it was made in the present day. We are also sure that many church leaders would not be, given the difficulty with stewardship that exists in so many faith communities and the general push to remove the tax-exempt status from many religious sites and activities.
The statement begs a question and it is contained in the statement: “…and to God what belongs to God.” What does God expect from us? If we get very literal at this point and ask simply: “what belongs to God?” The answer is obvious – everything. We believe the Heavenly Father is the creator of all things, or is he? Yes, God created the heavens and the earth. We believe he created life in all its diversity (Not in the neo-Darwinian sense that does not explain the beginning of life, and does not account for speciation as an act of guided intent, and no, this is not Creationism).
As his ultimate creation, he made human beings in his own image and likeness. He gave us free will and the ability to form tools and artifacts from the earth, to mold clay and metal into useful and cunning shapes. Did God create these “things”? Are they his? It is an interesting philosophical question that we will not go further with here. The fundamental question still lies in front of us; “What do we need to give to God?”
That question at least is answered by Holy Scripture. There are numerous statements in the Old Testament, especially in the psalms, that God is not seeking burnt offerings placed upon an altar of sacrifice. Rather God wants our homage through deeds that show him that we have listened to him, his Son, and the Holy Spirit he left to guide us. He requires us to adopt an attitude and behaviors that bring him, our Creator, praise because all we accomplish is only through the gift of life he gave us, and the talent with which he imbued us.
What God requires of us is not material but is concrete. He asks us to follow the example of his Son who always points to the Father. Just as the metalworker forges a coin, and that coin is tribute to the nation whose emblem it bears, so too are our actions, as God’s creatures, a tribute to the one who created us. It is a tremendous call to receive and for our service we receive a tremendous reward.
Pax
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