COLLECT SERIES
The Mass: Collect Series Icon
COLLECT
The Collect for the 29th 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
Matthew 22:15–21
Theme: “Giving to God What Belongs to God”
Setting the Scene
The Pharisees, together with the
Herodians, approach Jesus with a carefully planned question.
Hoping to trap Him, they ask whether it
is lawful to pay taxes to the Roman emperor.
It is a question designed to place Jesus
in an impossible position. If He supports paying the tax, He risks alienating
many of the Jewish people who resent Roman rule. If He opposes it, He could be
accused of rebellion against the Roman authorities.
Knowing their intentions, Jesus asks
them to show Him the coin used to pay the tax.
Holding the coin before them, He asks,
"Whose image is this, and whose
inscription?"
They reply,
"Caesar's."
Jesus then gives His remarkable answer:
"Give therefore to Caesar what
belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God."
His response leaves His opponents
astonished and reveals a wisdom that no human trap can overcome.
This Gospel reminds us that while we
fulfil our responsibilities within society, our lives ultimately belong to God.
Gospel Reflection: Living in God's Image
Jesus' answer reaches far beyond the
question of paying taxes.
The coin bears Caesar's image and
belongs to him.
But every human person bears the image
of God.
From the beginning of creation, we have
been made in God's image and likeness. Our lives, our gifts, our relationships,
and our very being are His gift to us.
Jesus teaches that our responsibilities
as citizens and members of society are important. We are called to act with
honesty, justice, and integrity.
Yet our greatest responsibility is
always to God.
Nothing and no one can take the place
that belongs to Him alone.
When we recognise that we belong to God,
every part of our lives becomes an opportunity to honour Him.
Our work, our family life, our service,
our prayer, and our relationships all become ways of reflecting His image to
the world.
Personal Reflection
It can be easy to divide life into
separate parts.
There is work.
There is family.
There is church.
There is time for ourselves.
Jesus invites me to see something much
deeper.
Every part of my life belongs to God.
Because I have been created in His
image, I am called to reflect His love wherever I go.
The question is not simply what I give
to God.
The question is whether I am allowing my
whole life to belong to Him.
When I place my life in His hands, He
shapes my thoughts, my decisions, my relationships, and my daily actions.
The more closely I follow Christ, the
more clearly His image is reflected in me.
Questions for Reflection
- What
part of this Gospel speaks most strongly to me today?
- What
does it mean for me to be created in the image and likeness of God?
- Are
there areas of my life that I struggle to place in God's hands?
- How can
I honour God through my daily responsibilities?
- In what
ways do I recognise the dignity of every person as someone created by God?
- How is
Jesus inviting me to live with greater integrity and faithfulness?
- What can
I do this week to give more of myself to God?
Closing Prayer
Lord
Jesus,
You
created me in the image and likeness of God.
Help
me to remember that my whole life belongs to You.
Guide
my thoughts, my words, and my actions
so
that they reflect Your truth and Your love.
Give
me wisdom to fulfil my daily responsibilities with honesty,
justice, and integrity.
May
I always recognise Your image in every person I meet.
Teach
me to offer You not only my prayers,
but my whole heart,
my whole life,
and all that I am.
Amen.
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