Are you still thinking about your mission and the reason of your existence? Though, it’s not the core of this Sunday’s Gospel, but, the priest who shared his reflections during the 4:00 PM mass at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Pajac, Lapu-Lapu City highlights this point and it struck me.So, I will share this with you, as per my understanding of his Homily.
The Gospel
Today’s Gospel, taken from Matthew 22:15-21:
The Pharisees went off
and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,
“Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion,
for you do not regard a person’s status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?”
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
“Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax.”
Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?”
They replied, “Caesar’s.”
At that he said to them,
“Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God.”
The Reflections
The priest who shared his reflections and homily puts the points of the Gospel in a way even common people can relate.
Give to the emperor what is due to the emperor.
- As citizen and people of the community and our country, we should pay the tax we need to pay. Though we can’t see much progress in our society, but in a greater scale, our contributions have helped our country in one way or another.
- Follow simple rules for a harmonious community. Simple following of traffic rules, curfew and all the regulations set forth by the local and national government officials is a way of giving back to the government.
- Throw your garbage properly. Never let someone clean up your mess. Just because some people left their garbage in the park or just let their pets poo in the sidewalk without cleaning it, doesn’t mean you also would do the same. If you are indeed a child of God and knows what God wants, you will do the right thing, right?
You can give to the government what is due to it by being a law-abiding citizen.
Give to the Lord what is due to the Lord.
There are a lot of ways to give back to the Lord. It’s not just about giving tithes, it’s about giving yourself in service to others.
- Attending Sunday masses is one of the ways to give back to the Lord. The Eucharist is the highest form of prayer. Hence, it is our duty and responsibility to give at least an hour in our week to spend it with the Lord.
- Helping the Church. The church’s project is not for the priest, but it’s for the people. The priest come and go and transfers from one church to another, but the projects of the church is there for the benefit the people even when the priest who proposed the projects has already transferred.
- Live out the Gospel in the way you live. As you go to your home after the mass, live out the lessons you’ve learned and pass it on to your family and friends.
Living out the Gospel in a simple, yet sincere way is a humble payback to God for all the blessings that we received.
Our Mission and Thanksgiving
The priest highlights the fact that we are blessed in a way more than we could ever imagine. Our daily living is a one simple, yet, unfathomable testament of God’s overflowing Providence. Hence, in each single day, never forget to give thanks to the Lord.
As for our mission, the priest said, we don’t need to go to remote places, preaching the Gospel and helping others. Our simple work and daily routine could be our mission if we put meaning and our heart on it.
Even the simplest routine of driving kids to school and back, husbands understanding their wives who nags often, wives praying and sacrificing for their “wise-in-a-not-so-good-way” husbands, etc. Your simple work could be your mission if your heart is on it.
Wrap up
To sum it all up, I would take what the priest’s bishop friend told him about God.
If you are generous, God is Extra generous;
If you are Extra generous, God is Extra Extra generous;
If you are Extra Extra generous, God is Extra Extra Extra generous.
Therefore, always know that God will ALWAYS provide. Be one with the Catholic Christian community in prayer through mass, strengthen your faith through prayer, and living out God’s Word through service to others.
Stay tuned for more. And, share your thoughts on the comments for me and others to learn more. 🙂 God bless!
You Filipinos are so lucky! You have almost 8,000 beautiful islands to explore and each one has its own unique beauty to offer. I can’t wait to visit them all!