“Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” – Matthew 22:21

       I used to be stingy in giving money to God. I thought that giving my time and talents to serve Him in work and ministry was already enough to cover what was due.

       When I got married, one best thing I learned from my wife was to put tithing first. When we got financial gifts from our wedding, we made sure that our first expense was our tithe. It was our act of putting God first in our marriage, especially in our finances.

       Amazingly, God cannot be outgiven. He provides more than what we need.

      We are blessed not just through monetary means; we are blessed with good health, breakthroughs in our careers, and business opportunities. We are surrounded with empowering mentors as well as loving and supportive friends and community.

       When we give to God, it’s not an expense but a gain. Giving to God leads us to the path of abundance. Didoy Lubaton (didoymd@gmail.com)

Reflection: Tithing unlocks blessings we would not have received if we hadn’t obeyed.

Dear Lord, I put You first in all things. It’s in giving that we receive. Thank You for all the blessings.

St. Pope John Paul II, pray for us.

God can use pagan rulers, hardened sinners and anyone He chooses to accomplish His plans. We should not be surprised that He often works through weak and sinful people in bringing about great blessings. He knows that it is virtually impossible for the weak to claim credit for something that is beyond their means to achieve. God knows what He is doing and we should never doubt this.

1 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: 4 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. 5 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, 6 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.

R: Give the Lord glory and honor.

1 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all you lands. 3 Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. (R) 4 For great is the Lord and highly to be praised; awesome is he, beyond all gods. 5 For all the gods of the nations are things of nought, but the Lord made the heavens. (R) 7 Give to the Lord, you families of nations, give to the Lord glory and praise; 8 give to the Lord the glory due his name! Bring gifts, and enter his courts. (R) 9 Worship the Lord in holy attire. Tremble before him, all the earth; 10 say among the nations: The Lord is king, he governs the peoples with equity. (R)

The life of faith is a “labor of love.” Paul is probably referring more to the work of proclaiming the Gospel, but we can legitimately extend it to the life of faith in general. First, it reminds us that all the choices we make in life need to be made with love in mind. Second, it reminds us that true love requires work and effort for it to endure. Too often today, people seem to expect everything to be given to them on a platter. This is not true, as when we work for something, it means so much more to us.

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace. 2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly 3 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, 4 knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.

Hatred and any kind of sin will not prevail against true love. Jesus demonstrates this through the witness of His life. He never showed any malice towards those seeking to discredit and even kill Him. He simply spoke the truth in love and, time after time, disarmed them in the eyes of the crowds and so increased His own standing in the eyes of everyone present. We need to learn from His example, especially when we need to confront sin.

Shine like lights in the world as you hold on to the word of life.

15 The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. 16 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. 17 Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” 18 Knowing their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin that pays the census tax.” Then they handed him the Roman coin. 20 He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” 21 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.”

Read the Bible in one year Sirach 44-51

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________________________

SET YOUR PRIORITIES RIGHT

In today’s Gospel episode, spies were sent to Jesus to trap Him in His speech. After showering Him with insincere praise and adulation, they dropped the killer question: “Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”

       Jesus turned the trap into a teaching moment by saying, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” With this response, Jesus was not dividing the world into coequal spheres as if there is a realm in it where God can be excluded. God is not just one among the many “Caesars” in the world. God is not even the highest “Caesar” in the world for God is simply beyond the world. Nothing in the world measures up to Him. Since Caesar himself is a person and bears God’s image, even Caesar is under God. So how do we translate “Give to Caesar’s what is Caesar’s, and to God’s what is God’s”? It means, “Give to  aesar his due but limited sovereignty, then give to God His due and unlimited sovereignty.”

       When a popular clothing brand announced the opening of its very first store in the Philippines in a local mall years ago, TV footages showed hundreds of its faithful patrons camped out in front of the store, not minding the discomfort and the long hours of waiting, just to be the first ones to get in once the store opens. Wow! Have you ever seen people camping out in front of the Church gates making sure they will be the first ones to enter once the doors open? I’m exaggerating, of course. But the point is, would we give to God, and everything His Kingdom embodies, the same enthusiasm and loyalty? To the “Caesars” of this world, we owe partial, calculated and measured loyalty. To God and to the good that He embodies, we owe our boundless and unconditional loyalty.

       Sadly, for many of us, it’s the other way around. Fr. Joel Jason

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Do you render to God what is due to Him as God or do you treat the “Caesars” of the world (power, sex, pleasure) as gods in themselves? Do you limit God’s sphere of influence in your life to the so-called “spiritual” things and places? Do you dispense of your time, talent and treasure in a way that honors God and allow the image of God in you to flourish and grow?

Lord, set my heart rightly ordered to the things of Your Kingdom. Amen.