COLLECT: “O GOD, WHOSE PROVIDENCE NEVER FAILS IN ITS DESIGN, KEEP FROM US, WE HUMBLY BESEECH YOU, ALL THAT MIGHT HARM US AND GRANT ALL THAT WORKS FOR OUR GOOD. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
2Pt 3:12-15a,17-18; Ps 89:2-4,10.14.16 and Mk 12:13-17.
Jesus tells his questioners today, to give “to God what belongs to God.”
As believers or Christians, we have dual citizenship. We are citizens of the State (Government) and citizens of the Church (God); we belong to both the State and the Church. Therefore, just as we have legitimate rights to enjoy from both the State and the Church, we equally have legitimate obligations or responsibilities toward the State and the Church. It is however very important to always set our priorities right: ‘God first, and man second’.
What belongs to the State (Government) must be given to her and what belongs to God must equally be given to Him. First of all, we have 6 working days in the week for the State and one day, the Sabbath/Sunday, for God. This day is not a working day, but a day of rest, and worship and praise to the Lord. A lot of us are found wanting in this regard. Life belongs to God and must be respected and safeguarded. When we abuse and manipulate human life, we are fair and just to God. When we murder and kill, either physically or spiritually, as well as either softly or cruelly, we are giving God what his due is. Some of us also violate this when we sit down idly or when we go to work and we do not deliver and produce, because of the lotto, drink, telephone calls, browsing, etc. When we evade taxes, we are not fair to the State. In a sense, we are keeping what is the State’s due to ourselves, thereby making us ‘thieves’ and criminals. Those of us who embezzle State funds and property, as well as those who embezzle and steal Church funds and property should know that we are taking, keeping and using what is not our due.
I must make a quick note here that giving to people what is their due is not only about material or physical things, but also about the way we handle and treat fellow human beings. Therefore, give to everyone, what the person’s conduct deserves and if someone’s conduct does not deserve something, please, do not slap it on the person. Some of us fall victim in this regard when we tell lies on others, or backbite, or discriminate, putting wrong and unqualified persons in offices and vice versa, and so on and so forth. May we be scrupulous about what is due to whom and always act accordingly. Lord, save us. Stay blessed.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, TUESDAY, ON THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN, THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR, THE CROWNING WITH THORNS, THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS AND THE CRUCIFIXION’ (WE PRAY FOR SORROW FOR SIN, PURITY, COURAGE, PATIENCE, AND PERSEVERANCE) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “GOVERN BY YOUR SPIRIT, WE PRAY, O LORD, THOSE YOU FEED WITH THE BODY AND BLOOD OF YOUR SON, THAT, PROFESSING YOU NOT JUST IN WORD OR IN SPEECH, BUT ALSO IN WORDS AND IN TRUTH, WE MAY MERIT TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. THROUGH CHRIS OUR LORD. AMEN.”
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, Upper West Region, Ghana. (00233-0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
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