Fr. Jorge Miró shares with Exaudi readers his commentary on today’s Gospel for 22 October 2023, entitled “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s”.
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The Word of God that we proclaim today invites us to proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, the only Lord. Lord of your life and Lord of history.
It is a Word that invites us to hope: God carries history. History is the history of love and salvation. It is an invitation to live in trust, to rest in the Lord.
Even if, at times, there are difficult events, events that we do not understand. Even if the mystery of evil appears so often with virulence. Satan has been defeated by Jesus Christ forever.
He may toss and turn and rock the boat, but the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory belong to Jesus Christ who lives and is with us – with you – every day until the end of the world.
This is what the first reading tells us: God raises up a pagan king, Cyrus, who is the Lord’s Anointed, so that the Jewish people held captive in Babylon can return to Jerusalem.
In the Gospel, Jesus is confronted with a trick question: those who ask him want to bring him down. Jesus’ answer is skilful and puzzling: Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. What does Jesus want to tell us?
What does Jesus want to tell us? Jesus is inviting us to put our lives in order. Only God is God. Caesar is not God.
If the image of Caesar is on the coin, in the heart of man is the image of God: man is created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, the heart must be given to God alone, and worship no one else but Him!
Jesus condemns any attempt to divinise and absolutise political power: only God can demand everything from man.
Jesus is inviting us to be good citizens and to be good Christians. Being a Christian encompasses all aspects of life, and our faith must be manifested in everything we do, including politics.
And in participating in social and political life, the Christian must bear in mind that he is a Christian, that he must obey God rather than men (cf. Acts 5:29), and that, therefore, his participation in political and social life must be coherent with the Gospel, with the faith.
For this, you need the Holy Spirit. Ask him for the gift of fortitude, which is what will enable you to be a witness to Jesus Christ.
The Church, although in no way confused with the political community, has the duty to make a moral judgement even on things that affect the political order when the fundamental rights of the person or the salvation of souls require it (GS 76, Catechism 2245-2246).
Courage! How hopeful are you? Proclaim Jesus Christ Lord of your life, let Him lead you!
Come, Holy Spirit! (cf. Lk 11:13).
Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s: Commentary, Fr. Jorge Miró
Sunday 22 October 2023
Fr. Jorge Miró shares with Exaudi readers his commentary on today’s Gospel for 22 October 2023, entitled “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s”.
***
The Word of God that we proclaim today invites us to proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, the only Lord. Lord of your life and Lord of history.
It is a Word that invites us to hope: God carries history. History is the history of love and salvation. It is an invitation to live in trust, to rest in the Lord.
Even if, at times, there are difficult events, events that we do not understand. Even if the mystery of evil appears so often with virulence. Satan has been defeated by Jesus Christ forever.
He may toss and turn and rock the boat, but the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory belong to Jesus Christ who lives and is with us – with you – every day until the end of the world.
This is what the first reading tells us: God raises up a pagan king, Cyrus, who is the Lord’s Anointed, so that the Jewish people held captive in Babylon can return to Jerusalem.
In the Gospel, Jesus is confronted with a trick question: those who ask him want to bring him down. Jesus’ answer is skilful and puzzling: Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. What does Jesus want to tell us?
What does Jesus want to tell us? Jesus is inviting us to put our lives in order. Only God is God. Caesar is not God.
If the image of Caesar is on the coin, in the heart of man is the image of God: man is created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, the heart must be given to God alone, and worship no one else but Him!
Jesus condemns any attempt to divinise and absolutise political power: only God can demand everything from man.
Jesus is inviting us to be good citizens and to be good Christians. Being a Christian encompasses all aspects of life, and our faith must be manifested in everything we do, including politics.
And in participating in social and political life, the Christian must bear in mind that he is a Christian, that he must obey God rather than men (cf. Acts 5:29), and that, therefore, his participation in political and social life must be coherent with the Gospel, with the faith.
For this, you need the Holy Spirit. Ask him for the gift of fortitude, which is what will enable you to be a witness to Jesus Christ.
The Church, although in no way confused with the political community, has the duty to make a moral judgement even on things that affect the political order when the fundamental rights of the person or the salvation of souls require it (GS 76, Catechism 2245-2246).
Courage! How hopeful are you? Proclaim Jesus Christ Lord of your life, let Him lead you!
Come, Holy Spirit! (cf. Lk 11:13).
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