From: Mark 12:13-17
On Tribute to Caesar
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Commentary:
13-17. Jesus uses this situation to teach that man belongs totally to his Creator:
“You must perforce give Caesar the coin which bears his likeness, but let you
give your whole being to God, because it is his likeness, not Caesar’s that you
bear” (St Jerome, “Comm. in Marcum, in loc.”).
Our Lord here asserts a principle which should guide the action of Christians in
public life. The Church recognizes the rightful autonomy of earthly realities, but
this does not mean that she has not a responsibility to light them up with the
light of the Gospel. When they work shoulder to shoulder with other citizens to
develop society, Christian lay people should bring a Christian influence to bear:
“If the role of the Hierarchy is to teach and to interpret authentically the norms
of morality to be followed in this matter, it belongs to lay people, without waiting
passively for orders and directives, to take the initiative freely and to infuse a
Christian spirit into the mentality, customs, laws and structures of the commu-
nity in which they live. Changes are necessary, basic reforms are indispensable;
lay people should strive resolutely to permeate them with the spirit of the Gospel”
(Paul VI, “Populorum Progressio”, 81).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
First reading | Tobit 2:9-14 © |
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Psalm | Psalm 111:1-2,7-9 © |
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Gospel Acclamation | Heb4:12 |
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Or | cf.Ep1:17,18 |
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Gospel | Mark 12:13-17 © |
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