Homily for Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

The readings for Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time may be found at:

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101826.cfm

In today's Gospel, the evangelist St. Matthew 

takes us back to Jerusalem, 

when the Jewish people 

were living under Roman occupation.

And life under Roman rule wasn't easy.

They were required to pay taxes to Caesar, 

the Roman emperor.

And many weren't happy about it.

Two thousand years later, I think some of us can relate.

But there was something else troubling about this tax.

It was paid using a Roman coin called a denarius, 

bearing the image of Emperor Tiberius, 

with an inscription identifying him 

as the son of Augustus, 

who had been declared divine.

For the Jewish people, 

who believed in the one true God, 

that claim of divine status didn't sit well.

So this wasn't just about taxes.

It was about faith, loyalty, and ultimately, 

who deserved their allegiance - Caesar or God.

Now, some of the Pharisees, 

influential religious teachers, 

were becoming uncomfortable with Jesus 

because He challenged their understanding of God's Law 

and their religious authority.

So they come up with a plan to trap Him.

If Jesus says to pay the tax, 

He upsets the Jewish people. 

But if He says not to pay it, 

He could be accused of opposing Rome.

They think they've put Jesus in a no win situation.

Good luck with that!

So they ask Him, 

"Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"

To which Jesus asks whose image appears on the coin.

When they answer, "Caesar's," He replies:

"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

He speaks those words to them, 

but He speaks them also to us.

We know what we give to Caesar.

But how much do we really give to God?

The denarius, the coin

bore Caesar's image on it.

But whose image do we bear?

And we don't have to look very far into the Bible to find the answer. 

In the very first chapter of Genesis, we hear -

"God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them."

You and I bear the image of God.

And through our Baptism, we became adopted children of God and members of His Church.

We belong to God.

And that should change everything.

But does it?

We come to Mass on the weekend, and that's important. 

It's part of our obligation to worship God.

But our faith shouldn't begin and end at church.

It should change the way we live.

The way we treat our spouse.

The patience we show our children.

The way we speak about someone who has hurt us.

The honesty we bring to our work.

The kindness we show someone who can do nothing for us in return.

Because being Catholic isn't simply about what we believe.

It's about allowing what we believe 

to change who we become.

And that's not always easy.

We sin. 

We make mistakes. 

And sometimes, probably more often than we realize, 

we put our own desires ahead of God's will.

And that's why Jesus gave us the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

When we fall short, God doesn't abandon us.

He invites us to return, confess our sins, 

receive His forgiveness, and begin again.

And in just a few moments, 

something extraordinary will happen here at the altar.

Through the words of consecration 

and the power of the Holy Spirit, 

the bread and wine 

will become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

Not a symbol.

But Jesus Himself, 

truly and substantially present - 

Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

In today's Gospel, 

Jesus tells us to give God what belongs to God.

But before we give anything to God, 

God gives Himself completely to us in the Eucharist.

And every time we receive Holy Communion worthily, 

He strengthens us to become more like Him.

That's what our Catholic faith calls us to - 

growing in holiness through God's grace.

So maybe there's one question 

we can take home and pray about 

this coming week.

If someone looked at the way we live, 

would they recognize the image of God in us?

Would they see His mercy in the way we forgive?

His compassion in the way we treat others?

His love in the way we care for our family?

Because Caesar's image may have been stamped on a piece of metal.

But God's image is stamped on our souls.

May the way we live, 

the way we love, 

and the way we serve others 

reflect the One whose image we bear.

Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.

And give to God what belongs to God.

Because when all is said and done -

We belong to God.