Homily for Tuesday
Week 9 of Ordinary Time
June 2, 2026
Mark 12: 13-17
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence,
N.R.
Don Bosco used to say that his purpose in
education was to train the young to become good Christians and upright
citizens. That’s a variation on Jesus’
teaching today, give to Caesar what belongs to him and to God what’s due to
him. Assuredly, during our days as
teachers and administrators, as educators, we tried to do that.
Tribute to Caesar (Gustave Dore')
And now?
What do we render to Caesar? We
qualify as taxpayers only incidentally with sales taxes and excise taxes. Otherwise, we have our civic responsibilities
to be informed about matters of the common good—public and social policies,
perhaps to weigh in on them at public forums, to contact public officials,
write letters to the editor, discuss issues with people—and, not least, to
vote. We must pray, too, for people who
are suffering, people in need—and for those who govern us, that they seek truth
and justice and be wise servants of the common good.
And rendering to God? We’ve made it our life’s work. We have only to fulfill our obligations to worship
the Lord, to give life to Jesus’ Church, to serve our Congregation, to love our
brothers and sisters. When Jesus asks,
“Whose image is this?” (Mark 12:16), we’re to understand that he refers not
merely to a denarius but even to every human being; everyone is made in the
divine image. We owe them the honor and
respect due to those who belong to God.
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