Daily Mass Gospel Reflection- A taxing World

Word on Fire Ministry ^ | 6-1-2021 | Aux. Bishop R. Barron

[MurphsLaw]

Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr

Mark 12:13–17

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus escapes from a trap with one of his most famous one-liners: "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." We should not read this as though there is a clearly demarcated political realm that belongs to the Caesars of the world and a clearly demarcated spiritual realm that belongs to God. And we certainly shouldn’t read it in the modern mode—that the public arena belongs to politics, while religion is relegated to the private dimension.

No, this won’t do, precisely because God is God. He’s not a being in or above the world, nor one reality among many. God is the sheer act of being itself, which necessarily pervades, influences, grounds, and has to do with everything, even as he transcends everything in creation.

God is the deepest source for everything in life, from sports to law to the arts to science to medicine. What has seized the lawyer (at his best) is a deep passion for justice—and God is justice itself. What has seized the doctor (at his best) is a deep passion for alleviating suffering—and God is love itself. Everything comes from God and returns to God.

[MurphsLaw]

But since the adversary does not cease to resist many, and uses many and diverse arts to ensnare them, that he may seduce the faithful from their faith, and that he may prevent the faithless from believing, it seems to me necessary that we also, being armed with the invulnerable doctrines of the faith, do battle against him in behalf of the weak.
Justin Martyr 156 A.D.

[Marchmain]

“If you want peace, work for justice,
if you want justice, defend life,
if you want life, embrace truth.”

S.JP2