“Give to Caesar what God himself wants to be given to Caesar.”

READINGS FOR SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Id-Disa’ u għoxrin Ħadd matul is-Sena                                        

Missalin A  p400

 

Reading 1                                                         ISaiah 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.  This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni  -  Profeta Isaija 45, 1, 4-6

Dan jgħid il-Mulej dwar il-midluk tiegħu, dwar Ċiru: "Lilu qbadt minn idu l-leminija biex inrażżan  il-ġnus quddiemu  u nħoll il-ħżiem ta' ġenbejn is-slaten; niftaħ l-bibien quddiemu u ebda bieb ma jibqa' magħluq. Minħabba Ġakobb, il-qaddej tiegħi, u Iżrael, il-maħtu tiegħi, jien sejjaħtlek b'ismek. Tajtek isem ta' ġieħ għad li lanqas tafni. Jien il-Mulej m'hemmx ieħor ħliefi,  m'hemmx Alla ieħor għajri.  Jien ħażżimtek għad li lanqas tafni,  biex mnejn titla' x-xemx safejn tinżel, il-bnedmin jagħrfu li m'hemm ħadd ħliefi. Jiena l-Mulej, m'hemmx ieħor ħliefi." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm    -    PSalm 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10

R/ (7b) Give the Lord glory and honour.        

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/

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 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/

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/ 

Salm Responsorjali    -   Salm 95 (96)

                R/  Agħtu lill-Mulej sebħ u qawwa.

Għannu lill-Mulej għanja ġdida;

għannu lill-Mulej fl-art kollha!

Xandru fost il-ġnus is-sebħ tiegħu,

fost il-popli kollha l-għeġubijiet tiegħu.                         R/

Għax kbir il-Mulej, ta' min ifaħħru ħafna,

tal-biża aktar mill-allat kollha.

Għax kollha frugħa l-allat tal-popli;

Jaħweh hu li għamel is-smewwiet!                                    R/

Agħtu lill-Mulej, familji tal-popli,

agħtu lill-Mulej sebħ u qawwa;

agħtu lill-Mulej is-sebħ ta' ismu!

Ġibulu l-offerti, u idħlu fil-btieħi tat-tempu tiegħu.    R/

Inxteħtu quddiem il-Mulej b'tiżjin qaddis,

triegħdu quddiemu, nies kollha ta' l-art!

Għidu fost il-ġnus:  "Il-Mulej isaltan!"

Hu li jiġġudiku l-popli bis-sewwa.                                      R/

Reading 2                                         1 THESsalonians 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. This is the Word of The Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni  -   mill-Ewwel Ittra lit-Tessalonkin 1, 1-5b

Pawlu u Silvanu u Timotju lill-knisja ta' Tessalonika f'Alla l-Missier u l-Mulej Ġesu' Kristu ġrazzja lilkom u sliem. Aħna kull ħin niżżu ħajr lil Alla minħabba fikom ilkoll, u niftakru fikom dejjem meta nitolbu. Niftakru fil-ħidma li hi ġejja mill-fidi tagħkom u fit-taħbit  li ħiereġ minn imħabbitkok;  niftakru fil-qawwa tat-tama  tagħkom f'Sidna Ġesu' Kristu quddiem Alla Missierna.  Aħna nafu, ħuti, li Alla jħobbkom u għażilkom.  Għax l-Evanġelju tagħna lilkom ma kienx biss bil-kliem, imma wkoll bil-qawwa, bl-Ispirtu s-Santu u b'persważjoni sħiħa. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                                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."  This is the Word of The Lord.

L-Evanġelju   -   skond San Mattew 22, 15-23

F'dak iż-żmien, il-Fariżej marru u bdew jiftiehmu bejniethom biex jaraw kif jonsbuh b'xi kelma. U bagħtulu d-dixxipli tagħhom ma' xi Erodjani u qalulu:  "Mgħallem, aħna nafu li int raġel tħobb is-sewwa, u li t-triq ta' Alla tgħallimha kif tassew hi, bla ma tħabbel rasek minn ħadd, għax int lejn wiċċ ħadd ma tħares. Għidilna ħaġa, mela:  Int x'jidhirlek!  Sewwa jew le li wieħed iħallas it-taxxa lil Ċesari?" Imma Ġesu' għaraf il-ħażen ta' moħħhom, u qalilhom: "Għaliex tridu ġġarrbuni, ja wċuħ b'oħra?  Uruni l-munita  tat-taxxa."   Urewh dinar, u Ġesu' staqsiehom:  "Ta' min huma dan il-wiċċ u din il-kitba?" Qalulu:  "Ta' Ċesari!"  Imbagħad qalilhom:  "Mela agħtu lil Ċesari dak li hu ta' Ċesari, u lil Alla dak li hu ta' Alla."  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Profile of a Catholic Politician

Gospel Commentary by Fr Raniero Cantalamessa ofm cap

This Sunday’s Gospel ends with one of those lapidary phrases of Jesus that have left a deep mark on history and on human language: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”   It is no longer either Caesar or God, but Caesar and God, each on his appropriate level. It is the beginning of the separation of religion and politics, which until then had been inseparable among all peoples and regimes.

The Jews were used to understanding the future reign of God founded by the Messiah as a theocracy, that is, as a government directed by God ruling over the whole earth through his people. But now the words of Christ reveal a kingdom of God that is in this world but that is not of this world, that travels on a different wavelength and that, for this reason, can coexist with every other political regime, whether it be sacral or secular.

Here we see two qualitatively different sovereignties of God over the world: the spiritual sovereignty that constitutes the Kingdom of God and that is exercised directly in Christ, and the temporal and political sovereignty that God exercises indirectly, entrusting it to man’s free choice and the play of secondary causes.

Caesar and God, however, are not put on the same level, because Caesar too depends on God and must answer to him. Thus “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s” means: “Give to Caesar what God himself wants to be given to Caesar.” God is sovereign over all, including Caesar. We are not divided between two loyalties; we are not forced to serve “two masters.”

The Christian is free to obey the state, but he is also free to resist the state when it goes against God and his law. In such a case it is not legitimate to invoke the principle about the obedience that is owed to superiors, as war criminals often do when they are on trial. Before obeying men, in fact, you must first obey God and your own conscience. You cannot give your soul, which belongs to God, to Caesar.

St. Paul was the first to draw practical conclusions from this teaching of Christ. He writes: “Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God. … Whoever resists authority opposes the order that God has appointed. … This is why you also pay taxes, for the authorities who are in charge of this are ministers of God” (Romans 13:1 ff.).

Paying appropriately levied taxes is for the Christian (but also for every honest person) a duty of justice and therefore an obligation of conscience. Guaranteeing order, commerce and a whole series of other services, the state gives the citizen something to which it has a right for compensation in return, precisely to be able to continue these same services.

The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” reminds us that tax evasion, when it reaches certain proportions, is a mortal sin equal to every other grave act of theft. It is stealing, not from the “state,” that is from no one, but from the community, that is, from everyone. Naturally, this supposes that the state is just and equitable in imposing taxes.

Christian cooperation in building a just and peaceful society does not stop at paying taxes; it must also extend itself to the promotion of common values such as the family, the defense of life, solidarity with the poor, peace. There is also another sphere in which Christians must make a contribution to politics. It does not have to do with the content of politics so much as its methods, its style.

Christians must help to remove the poison from the climate of contentiousness in politics, bring back greater respect, composure and dignity to relationships between parties. Respect for one’s neighbor, clemency, capacity for self-criticism: These are the traits that a disciple of Christ must have in all things, even in politics.

It is undignified for a Christian to give himself over to insults, sarcasm, brawling with his adversaries. If, as Jesus says, those who call their brother “stupid” are in danger of Gehenna, what then must we say about a lot of politicians?    [Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]