Reflection
Every twelve years our calendar of
Scripture readings coincides with the civic calendar to place today’s readings
in the weeks before our presidential election.
It’s a time to pray and deeply ponder our civic duty and the often
complex relationship between God and “Caesar”, church and state, the common
good and the prevalence of power and control that can undermine human dignity.
Today’s Gospel reading describes a trap! The Pharisees are out to get Jesus. First they ‘butter him up’ then throw a
zinger question at him, sure that he will mess up no matter how he answers
their question.
Jesus, however, refused the trap of false alternatives or of identifying
with a single issue. Instead he
challenges them to think about the One in whose image they have been created.
“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and repay to God what
belongs to God.”
What belongs to God?
The world and everything and everyone in it, including me and every
other person who shares life on this planet, no matter the color of their skin,
their country of origin, their wealth or poverty, their education or lack of
it,…
Politics must not be a power
grab. It must be a service to the common
good.
(Pope Francis, “Fratelli Tutti” 2020.)
And the question for each of us becomes how will I live out
my civic duty, my fidelity to the Gospel, my values and my commitment to the
common good, one decision at a time, day after day, after day,…