Collect for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A

 COLLECT SERIES

The Mass: Collect Series Icon

COLLECT

 

The Collect for the 29^th Sunday of the Year reads as follows:

Almighty ever- living God,

Grant that we may always conform our will to Yours

And serve Your majesty in sincerity of heart.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,

Who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible for during the week, the following reflection questions emerged:

What do I understand God’s will to mean?

What areas in my life conform to God’s will?

What areas in my life need to conform to God’s will?

What areas in my life will I make a sincere effort to conform to God’s will this week?

How do I serve God’s majesty in sincerity of heart? ( at home, at work, in my parish).

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

In today’s Gospel from Matthew, we witness a thought-provoking encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees, who sought to trap Him with a tricky question about paying taxes to Caesar. Their intention was to  both discredit Him with the Roman authorities and alienate Him from the Jewish crowd. However, Jesus responds with profound wisdom, revealing important spiritual lessons for us today.

First and foremost, Jesus' reply, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's," emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between our earthly and heavenly responsibilities. He reminds us that while we live in the world and must comply with its systems and authorities, we also have a higher allegiance to God. This implies that our faith should not be used as a means to escape our civic duties but rather to inform and guide them.

Moreover, Jesus' words highlight the idea of balance and discernment. We are called to discern what rightfully belongs to Caesar, symbolizing worldly concerns, and what belongs to God, representing our spiritual devotion and moral obligations. It's a call to avoid either extreme: neglecting our civic responsibilities in the name of faith or prioritizing worldly matters to the detriment of our spiritual growth.

Additionally, this passage prompts us to reflect on the image of the coin. The coin bore the image of Caesar, signifying his authority and dominion. In contrast, we, as humans, bear the image of God. This teaches us that our true identity is found in our relationship with God, and our ultimate loyalty should be directed toward Him. Just as the coin belongs to Caesar because it bears his image, we belong to God because we bear His image.

In summary, Matthew 22:15-21 serves as a reminder of the need for discernment in balancing our earthly and spiritual responsibilities. It underscores the importance of recognizing our dual citizenship in the world and in God's kingdom. Ultimately, it challenges us to give our utmost loyalty to God while fulfilling our earthly obligations with integrity and wisdom.

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