Liturgical Colour: Green. Year: B(II)
Readings at Mass
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First reading
2 Peter 3:11-15,17-18
We are waiting for the new heaven and the new earth
You should be living holy and saintly lives while you wait and long for the Day of God to come, when the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat. What we are waiting for is what he promised: the new heavens and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home. So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace. Think of our Lord’s patience as your opportunity to be saved. You have been warned about this, my friends; be careful not to get carried away by the errors of unprincipled people, from the firm ground that you are standing on. Instead, go on growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory, in time and in eternity. Amen.
Commentary:
In 2 Peter 3:11-15, 17-18, Peter exhorts believers to anticipate Christ's return eagerly, living holy lives in preparation. He emphasizes the importance of diligence, peace, and spiritual growth, while cautioning against false teachings.
Call to Holy Conduct: Peter urges believers to live holy and godly lives, given the certainty of the end times and the impending judgment (3:11-12).
Eagerly Await the Day of God: Instead of fearing the end, believers are encouraged to eagerly anticipate the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be dissolved and renewed (3:13).
Hope in God's Promise: Peter reminds believers of God's promise of a new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells (3:13).
Be Diligent and Blameless: Believers are exhorted to be diligent to be found by Christ in peace, without spot or blemish, and to regard the patience of the Lord as salvation (3:14-15).
Avoid Being Led Astray: Peter warns against being led astray by the error of lawless people and exhorts believers to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (3:17-18).
This passage emphasizes the importance of holy living, eager anticipation of Christ's return, hope in God's promises, diligence in spiritual growth, and guarding against false teachings.
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Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 89(90):2-4,10,14,16
O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
Before the mountains were born
or the earth or the world brought forth,
you are God, without beginning or end.
O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
You turn men back to dust
and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’
To your eyes a thousand years
are like yesterday, come and gone,
no more than a watch in the night.
O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
Our span is seventy years,
or eighty for those who are strong.
And most of these are emptiness and pain.
They pass swiftly and we are gone.
O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
In the morning, fill us with your love;
we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Show forth your work to your servants;
let your glory shine on their children.
O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
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Gospel Acclamation
Heb4:12
Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is something alive and active:
it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!
Or:
cf.Ep1:17,18
Alleluia, alleluia!
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
Mark 12:13-17
Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God
The chief priests and the scribes and the elders sent to Jesus some Pharisees and some Herodians to catch him out in what he said. These came and said to him, ‘Master, we know you are an honest man, that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you, and that you teach the way of God in all honesty. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay, yes or no?’ Seeing through their hypocrisy he said to them, ‘Why do you set this trap for me? Hand me a denarius and let me see it.’ They handed him one and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they told him. Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’ This reply took them completely by surprise.
Commentary:
In Mark 12:13-17, we witness a cunning attempt by the Pharisees and Herodians to trap Jesus with a question about paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus' response to this politically charged query is not only a masterful evasion of their trap but also a profound teaching on the relationship between earthly authority and divine allegiance. Let's delve into this passage with five key points:
The Trap is Set: The religious leaders pose a divisive question aimed at trapping Jesus in a dilemma regarding allegiance to Caesar or God.
Perceiving Malice: Jesus discerns their ulterior motive and responds with keen insight, requesting a denarius to examine.
The Coin's Image: Jesus highlights Caesar's image on the coin, signifying its association with worldly authority and financial obligation.
Render to Caesar, Render to God: Jesus' cryptic response instructs both compliance with civic duties and a higher allegiance to God.
A Lesson in Balance: This passage teaches believers to navigate worldly responsibilities while prioritizing devotion to God.
Mark 12:13-17 encapsulates Jesus' profound wisdom and ability to navigate complex moral and political issues. His response not only evades the trap set by his adversaries but also provides a timeless lesson on balancing earthly obligations with spiritual devotion. As believers, we are called to fulfil our civic duties while never losing sight of our ultimate allegiance to God.
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William of Saint-Thierry (c.1085-1148)
Benedictine, then a Cistercian monk
Meditations, 1, 1-3 ; SC 324 (©Cistercian publications Inc., 1970)
«Then God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness' » (Gn 1,26)
"O the depth of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways are past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor" For you have mercy, Lord, on whom you will have mercy; you have pity on whom you will have pity. Election "is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy'" (Rm 11,33f; 9,15f).
The earthen vessel recoils from the hand of him who made it...; it breaks away from the hand that carries it... And woe betide it if it falls away from your hand, for then it will be broken and crushed and reduced to nothing! It knows this, and does not forsake your grace. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy! You are our potter and we are the clay (cf. Jer 18,6; Gn 2,7)... We have held together until now; we are still carried by your mighty hand, and we are still clinging to your three fingers, faith, hope and charity, with which you support the whole great bulk of earth-that is to say, the whole weight of your holy Church. Cleanse our reins and our hearts by the fire of your Holy Spirit (Ps 26[25],2), and establish the work that you have wrought in us, lest we be loosed asunder and return again to clay or nothingness.
We were created for you by yourself, and towards you our face is set. We acknowledge you our maker and creator; we adore your wisdom and pray that it may order all our life. We adore your goodness and mercy, and beg them ever to sustain and help us. You who have made us, bring us to perfection; perfect in us the image and likeness of yourself for which you made us.
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