Isaiah 45:1, 4-6 Cyrus, the pagan Persian king, is shown to be a friend of God.
Psalm 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10 The family of nations together gives praise and honor to God.
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b Paul and his team continue to spread the gospel to the world at large.
Matthew 22:15-21 Jesus didn’t see Caesar as the problem: His own people were!
Jesus snares the Pharisees in their own trap in today’s gospel with his brilliant teaching to “render unto Caesar . . . . ” Their hypocrisy is revealed for all to see.
Who’s your worst enemy? Not knowing a single thing about your life, I can make a pretty good guess. It’s not your boss, your mate, your rival, or that fifth-grade teacher who always had it in for you. No, our own worst enemy is usually ourselves.
Not long ago I attended a funeral for a man who had served as a journalist for the diocesan paper for more than 25 years. Kevin was all that one would hope and trust a journalist might be: inquisitive, persevering, intelligent, and articulate.
I heard a little girl in the grocery store pleading with her mother. “Please, please, please buy me the pink cookies!” she wailed. And then she decided to set the trap.
In the gospel today Jesus challenges his hearers to choose to follow God above all else. Let us pray that we may make that choice.
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