October 18
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading
IS 45:1, 4-6
Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus, whose right hand I grasp, subduing nations before him, and making kings run in his service, opening doors before him and leaving the gates unbarred: For the sake of Jacob, my servant, of Israel, my chosen one, I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not. I am the LORD and there is no other, there is no God besides me. It is I who arm you, though you know me not, so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun people may know that there is none besides me. I am the LORD, there is no other.
Responsorial Psalm
PS 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10
R. (7b) Give the Lord glory and honor.
Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Give the Lord glory and honor.
For great is the LORD and highly to be praised; awesome is he, beyond all gods. For all the gods of the nations are things of nought, but the LORD made the heavens.
R. Give the Lord glory and honor.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name! Bring gifts, and enter his courts.
R. Give the Lord glory and honor.
Worship the LORD, in holy attire; tremble before him, all the earth; say among the nations: The LORD is king, he governs the peoples with equity.
R. Give the Lord glory and honor.
Second Reading
1 THES 1:1-5B
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen. For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.
Alleluia
PHIL 2:15D, 16A
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Shine like lights in the world as you hold on to the word of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia
Gospel
MT 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."
Give a Mass Offering
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
“Give the Lord glory and honor.”
Readings & Reflection
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Today, the Gospel of Matthew reminds us that our primary allegiance is not to any particular nation or group in as much as we belong to God first. God is the creator of all. Many people do not want to be possessed by anyone, let alone God. They want the right to choose to which group to belong. We often forget that God creates us in His image and that He has written His law on our hearts.
In the Gospel, the Pharisees try to entrap Jesus by asking Him if it is legal to pay the census tax to Caesar. Jesus recognizes their insincerity. He then asks them whose face they see imprinted on their coins. They answer Caesar and Jesus responds, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
God has imprinted himself on our hearts and in our souls as He has created us in His image. Do we repay to God what we possess because it is truthfully God’s or do we claim our possessions as fruits of our own labor and refuse to give back to God from our good fortune?
Peace,
Fr. John Kurgan
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