Vol. 38    No. 55               OCTOBER  16, 2011              Cycle  A XXIX  SUNDAY  OF  THE  YEAR Render to God the things that are God's   ENTRANCE ANTIPHON I call upon you, God, for you will answer me; bend your ear and hear my prayer. Guard me as the pupil of your eye; hide me in the shade of your wings. (Ps 16:6,8) PENITENTIAL RITE “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” This question, put to Jesus, was a test, to see whether he was on the side of those who opposed paying taxes to the Romans (the Pharisees), or on the side of those who collaborated with the Romans (the Herodians). In his answer, Jesus recognizes that the State has a role, but its power is limited and does not surpass that of God. We give God something, that we do not give to any earthly ruler. That is ‘worship’. And this is precisely why we are gathered here—to worship God, Creator of the universe and Lord of all. Let us humbly acknowledge our failures in our duty to God and ask pardon for not giving first place to God in our lives. (Pause) I confess… Glory to God… OPENING PRAYER Almighty and ever-living God, our source of power and inspiration, give us strength and joy in serving you as followers of Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. FIRST READING (God makes use of the pagan king Cyrus, conqueror of Babylon, to grant freedom to the captive Jews and to allow them to return to their homeland. This is seen as a sign of God’s love for His people, Israel, and His reign over all peoples.) A reading from the Book of Isaiah    (45:1,4-6) Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and ungird the loins of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: “For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name. I surname you, though you do not know me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides me there is no God; I gird you though you do not know me, that men may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other.” This is the Word of the Lord PSALM    (95) Response: Give the Lord glory and power. O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord all the earth. Tell among the nations his glory and his wonders among all the peoples. The Lord is great and worthy of praise, to be feared above all gods, the gods of the heathens are naught. It was the Lord who made the heavens. Give the Lord, you families of peoples, give the Lord glory and power, give the Lord the glory of his name. Bring an offering and enter his courts. Worship the Lord in his temple. O earth, tremble before him. Proclaim to the nations: “God is King.” He will judge the people in fairness. SECOND READING (St Paul praises his Thessalonian converts for their fidelity to God and tells them how they are ever in his prayers so that they may continue to be faithful to the call God has given them.) A reading from the First Letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians  (1:1-5) 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 you all, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brethren beloved by God, that he has chosen you; for our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. This is the Word of the Lord ACCLAMATION Alleluia, alleluia! I am the light of the world, says the Lord; he who follows me will have the light of life. Alleluia! (Jn 8:12) GOSPEL (Trying to entrap Jesus, his enemies send messengers to ask him, if it is lawful to pay tax to the emperor or not. Jesus answers them wisely.) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew (22:15-21) The Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle Jesus in his talk. And they sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the money for the tax.” And they brought him a coin. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” This is the Gospel of the Lord I believe in God,/the Father Almighty,/ Creator of heaven and earth./ I believe in Jesus Christ,/his only Son, our Lord./ He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit/ and born of the Virgin Mary./He suffered under Pontius Pilate,/was crucified, died, and was buried./He descended to the dead./On the third day he rose again./He ascended into Heaven,/and is seated at the right hand of the Father./He will come again to judge the living and the dead./I believe in the Holy Spirit,/the Holy Catholic Church,/the communion of saints,/the forgiveness of sins,/the resurrection of the body,/and the life everlasting./ Amen. PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, we must give the first place to God in our lives. Every Christian, living in the modern world, is faced with difficult decisions. Let us pray to our heavenly Father for the wisdom and guidance of His Spirit, in all our decisions and actions: Response: Lord, hear our prayer. 1. For all Church leaders: that they may not remain silent, nor be afraid to speak out, for the cause of truth and justice in the world. 2. For our political and civil leaders: that they may respect and promote freedom of religion and freedom of conscience, and so lead all citizens in justice. 3. For all in the judiciary: that judges may stand for what is right and protect the innocent and the poor. 4. For all people who believe in Jesus: that they may enjoy the gift of God’s love and share it with others everywhere. 5. For all in the medical profession and health care: that they may be guided by their conscience, and not to do anything morally wrong or unethical. (Pray for local and personal needs) Cel: Abba, Father, you are faithful in all your words, and loving in all your deeds; support the weak and raise up the fallen. May your Spirit guide us to live as loyal citizens of both the country and Your Kingdom, knowing our rights and doing our duties. We ask this… PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS Lord God, may the gifts we offer bring us your love and forgiveness and give us freedom to serve you with our lives. We ask this… PREFACE  (P 34) Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks. In you we live and move and have our being. Each day you show us a Father’s love; your Holy Spirit, dwelling within us, gives us on earth the hope of unending joy. Your gift of the Spirit, who raised Jesus from the dead, is the foretaste and promise of the paschal feast of heaven. With thankful praise, in company with the angels, we glorify the wonders of your power: All: Holy, holy, holy… COMMUNION ANTIPHON See how the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those who hope in his love; that he may rescue them from death and feed them in time of famine. (Ps 32:18-19) PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION   Lord, may this Eucharist help us to remain faithful. May it teach us the way to eternal life. Grant this…   LITURGY AND LIFE The Pharisees opposed Christ, almost from the very beginning of his public life, because he ‘came to call sinners’ and mingled freely with sinners and tax collectors. They were opposed to the Herodians and Sadducees, two other contemporary Jewish sects. Nevertheless, they were willing to join hands with them, in their desire to silence Christ. They used the Sadducees to get Christ crucified; and the Herodians to try to trap Jesus, in his teaching. In today’s Gospel, the real emphasis is on Jesus’ response: “Give to God what is God’s.” What does that mean? Everything belongs to God: our bodies, our souls, our talents, even our pos-sessions. It takes a lifelong, constant effort to give to God what is His, and it is a supreme obligation, of which we must be frequently reminded. God will not force us to give Him His due, for He wants a loving service, that is freely given, from the conviction of faith. A legalistic approach to religion and a merely external observance of the law are hardly ways of giving God, what is His. The statement of Jesus, “Give to God what is God’s”, is reflected in his entire life and teaching, thus restoring the right relationship between the Creator and the creature. Jesus’ enemies try to trick him into declaring his opinion on a political matter. He, in turn, challenges them to declare their position on the real issue—the creature’s relationship to God, the Creator. Though they had a malicious intention, in questioning Jesus, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” They got an appropriate answer. It lays down a norm, which solves for all time, the problems that can arise from our dual citizenship on this earth. We have duties towards God and duties towards our country and the fulfilment of the latter is part of the fulfilment of the former. Failure to be a good citizen, is a failure in Christian duty. To cheat the Nation is to cheat one’s fellow citizens, and to cheat one’s fellow citizens is to cheat God. The image of a prominent figure (the father of the nation) is stamped on the currency and coins of every country. But all of us have another image stamped on our souls. In baptism we are stamped with the seal of Christ. Therefore, we belong to him, to our God, and it is God’s will, that we personally and deliberately render to God what is his—ourselves, our lives, our service in making Christ known, so that God may dispose of us as He desires. True Christians will not fail in their duty towards God nor towards their fellow beings. Christians should not shirk public office, but see it as a chance to serve humanity and thereby God. The Pharisees opted out of real life and kept themselves apart. The result was a vain religiosity, which had little or nothing to do with life. “Give to God what is God’s”. This is the challenge, Jesus presented to his enemies then and to us now. As Christians our first and deepest loyalty is to God. We follow Jesus in the total dedication of his life to the Father; let us make his dedication our own. —Fr Sebastian Kattackal, ssp     October  2011                READINGS  OF  THE  WEEK                  Psalter Week 1 17 Mon (R) St Ignatius of Antioch, Rom 4:20-25/ Lk 1:69-70.71-72.73-75/ Lk 12:13-21 18 Tue (R) ST LUKE, Evst, Fst, 2 Tm 4:10-17b/ Ps 145:10-11.12-13.17-18/ Lk 10:1-9 19 Wed (R) Sts Isaac Jogues, John de Brébeuf & Co, Rom 6:12-18/ Ps 124:1b-3. 4-6.   7-8/ Lk 12:39-48 20 Thu (G) Rom 6:19-23/ Ps 1:1-2.3.4 and 6/ Lk 12:49-53 21 Fri (G) Rom 7:18-25a/ Ps 119:66.68.76.77.93. 94/ Lk 12:54-59 22 Sat (G) Rom 8:1-11/ Ps 24:1b-2.3-4ab.5-6/ Lk 13:1-9