In this Sunday’s gospel we hear how the Pharisees are trying to set a trap for Jesus. Since they do not want to
confront our Blessed Lord directly, they send their disciples to pose an apparently very tricky question: “Is it
lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” It seems that there is no way out for Jesus, at least in the Phar-
isees’ minds. No matter what Jesus would respond, He would be trapped, for if Jesus says that they should not
pay the census tax, He would declare Himself a rebel and the enemy of the Roman Empire; if He says that
they should pay tax to Caesar, Jesus would be considered a collaborator with the oppressive regime and thus
He would become an enemy of the people. Our Lord’s response, however, is far more ingenious then the
pharisees could have imagined. Jesus’ response goes beyond narrow human reasoning and treacherous schem-
ing on the part of the Jerusalem establishment. In a very Jewish way of dialoguing, Jesus responds to His in-
terlocutors with another question, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?”—in this it is now the Lord
Jesus who is in charge, in fact, pulling the Pharisees into their own trap. The moment they responded that the
image on the coin is Caesar’s, Jesus provides His famous and the cleverest answer, “Then repay to Caesar
what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
What Our Blessed Lord said in this brief conversation is very clear. Namely, as we recognize that we must
pay our dues to the state, we also should recognize that we should pay our ‘dues’ to God. To the state, here
represented by Caesar, we pay taxes so that the state can function and provide necessary services like protec-
tion and good government. To God however we should render all our being, for we are created by God and to
God belongs all that we are. In Jesus’ response we should hear the echo of the Shema prayer, “Hear, O Israel!
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, and
with your whole being, and with your whole strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
In light of so much unrest in the world, the war in Ukraine and the recent events in Israel and Palestine, and
brewing conflict in the entire Middle East, we must realize that we are called to more fervent prayer and great-
er trust in God. This is exactly how we must render to God what belongs to God—our hearts fixed on the Cru-
cified Lord Jesus. We need to unite in prayer and fasting so that God’s peace may first reign in human hearts
and then the nations may be reconciled. Let us undertake some steps to find more time for prayer, especially
asking the Queen of Peace our Blessed Mother as we pray daily the Holy Rosary, and offer up some acts of
fasting for the intention of peace in the world.
I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor
confront our Blessed Lord directly, they send their disciples to pose an apparently very tricky question: “Is it
lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” It seems that there is no way out for Jesus, at least in the Phar-
isees’ minds. No matter what Jesus would respond, He would be trapped, for if Jesus says that they should not
pay the census tax, He would declare Himself a rebel and the enemy of the Roman Empire; if He says that
they should pay tax to Caesar, Jesus would be considered a collaborator with the oppressive regime and thus
He would become an enemy of the people. Our Lord’s response, however, is far more ingenious then the
pharisees could have imagined. Jesus’ response goes beyond narrow human reasoning and treacherous schem-
ing on the part of the Jerusalem establishment. In a very Jewish way of dialoguing, Jesus responds to His in-
terlocutors with another question, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?”—in this it is now the Lord
Jesus who is in charge, in fact, pulling the Pharisees into their own trap. The moment they responded that the
image on the coin is Caesar’s, Jesus provides His famous and the cleverest answer, “Then repay to Caesar
what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
What Our Blessed Lord said in this brief conversation is very clear. Namely, as we recognize that we must
pay our dues to the state, we also should recognize that we should pay our ‘dues’ to God. To the state, here
represented by Caesar, we pay taxes so that the state can function and provide necessary services like protec-
tion and good government. To God however we should render all our being, for we are created by God and to
God belongs all that we are. In Jesus’ response we should hear the echo of the Shema prayer, “Hear, O Israel!
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, and
with your whole being, and with your whole strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
In light of so much unrest in the world, the war in Ukraine and the recent events in Israel and Palestine, and
brewing conflict in the entire Middle East, we must realize that we are called to more fervent prayer and great-
er trust in God. This is exactly how we must render to God what belongs to God—our hearts fixed on the Cru-
cified Lord Jesus. We need to unite in prayer and fasting so that God’s peace may first reign in human hearts
and then the nations may be reconciled. Let us undertake some steps to find more time for prayer, especially
asking the Queen of Peace our Blessed Mother as we pray daily the Holy Rosary, and offer up some acts of
fasting for the intention of peace in the world.
I wish you all a blessed week. Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor