'Tis the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.
Almighty ever-living God,Scripture of the Week
grant that we may always conform our will to Yours
& serve Your majesty in sincerity of heart.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives & reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever & ever.
Mass Readings—Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Book of Isaiah, chapter forty-five, verses one, four, five, & six;
Psalm Ninety-six (R/. seven[b]), verses one & three, four & five, seven & eight, & nine & ten;
The First Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter one, verses one thru five(b);
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-two, verses fifteen thru twenty-one.
Commentary: Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today’s Gospel, the Pharisees try to trap Jesus. They ask, "Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" Church-state questions are nothing new—and they continue to be just as divisive.Video reflection by Father Greg Friedman, O.F.M. (U. S. C. of Catholic Bishops): Sunday Reflection.
In the matter of religion and politics, the same principle of Jesus’ wonderful one-liner applies: "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." Politics is not in a realm separate from the religious; rather, its deepest ground is spiritual.
So does this mean that religion just swallows everything up? Of course not. Here we can profitably return to Jesus’ dictum. One of the implications of the doctrine of creation is that created things have their own integrity. They are not parts of God, appendages of God’s being. Sports, culture, art, politics, science, etc. have their own particular form of flourishing.
And it’s no business of mine to come crashing into an artist’s studio and telling him how to paint, or to enter an operating room and tell a doctor how to perform heart surgery. This is the valid independence of created things and secular culture vis-à-vis religion. But remember that all things, ultimately, belong to God—including Caesar!
Video reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire): Sunday Sermon.
Audio reflection by Scott Hahn, Ph.D. (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Breaking the Bread.
Scripture Study—Day 91: Havel Highlands, Day 28
The Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter seven, verses fiften thru twenty-two.
Commentary: Inequalities of Life (Ecclesiastes, 7:15-22).
†
Saints of This Day
Otherwise, 18 October would be the festival of Saint Luke, Evangelist (died circa 84), author of the Gospel according to Luke & the Acts of the Apostles, one of the Four Evangelists: Evangelist-link ūnus, Evangelist-link duo, Evangelist-link trēs, Evangelist-link Array of Hope, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Gospel & Wikipedia-link Acts; & Evangelists-link & Wikipedia-link Evangelists.
'Twould also be the festival of Saint Asclepiades of Antioch, Bishop & Confessor (died circa 217), tenth (X) Patriarch of Antioch (211-217), persecuted in the reign of the Roman emperor Caracalla: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Antioch & Wikipedia-link Patriarchs; & Wikipedia-link Confessor.
'Twould also be the festival of Saint Justus of Beauvais, Martyr (circa 278-287), a child of nine martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian & Maximian, a cephalophore: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Cephalophore.
'Twould also be the festival of Saint Julian of Mesopotamia, Hermit (floruit 363): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
'Twould also be the festival of Saint Amabilis of Riom, Priest (died 475, A.K.A. of Auvergne): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.
'Twould also be the festival of Saint Wenna of Tagarth, Martyr (circa 463-492; A.K.A. Gwen, etc.), martyred by pagan Saxons: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.
Commentary: Daughter of St. Brychan of Brycheiniog [6 April]; sister of fellow martyr St. Cynog ap Brychan [7 October], et al.; & aunt of St. Wenna ferch Cynyr [?].
'Twould also be the festival of Saint Peter of Alcántara, Priest, O.F.M. (1499-1562): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.
Papal Quote o' the Day
"God's love is tender & merciful, patient & full of understanding. In the Scriptures, & also in the living memory of the Church, the love of God is indeed depicted & has been experienced as the compassionate love of a mother."Bonus! Papal Quote o' the Day
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)
"Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)
"Material riches & spiritual riches can both choke you if you do not use them fairly. For not even God can put anything in the heart that is already full. One day there spiring up the desire for money & for all that money can provide: superfluous luxury. Eating fine meals, the finest clothes, luxury homes, expensive vacations. These things are trifles. One desire leads to another, & then we begin to think that we need these things. The result is uncomfortable dissatisfaction. Let us live simply & remain as empty as possible so that God can full us up."Saint Quote o' the Day
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)
"Cling to God, & leave all the rest to Him: He will not let you perish. Your soul is very dear to Him, He wishes to save it."
—St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, V.H.M. (1647-1690, feast: 16 October)
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