Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • October 16, 2020 5 9274 Hwy 49/Airport Gulfport, MS 39503 228-863-5525 1-800-880-2446 FAX: 228-863-9612 www.butchoustalet.com 1260 Ocean Springs Road, Ocean Springs, MS 39564 Ph: 228-818-0650 For more information, contact Jody Ellis Stoddard, Executive Director or email her at gardensED@BlueHarborSL.com Web Address: www.gardensseniorliving.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheGardensSeniorLivingOceanSprings In today’s first reading, God establishes three principles for intervention into the affairs of the Israelite nation. First, He secures the well-being of His people who are under siege of a foreign enemy. Second, He uses a pagan king that has no knowledge of Him as an instrument to carry out hiswill. Third, His sovereignty and omnipotence has no equal. In the sixth century B.C., Nebuchadnezzar, King of Baby- lon, destroyed Jerusalem and deported its people to Babylon to begin a seventy-year of exile after whichKing Cyrus conquered Babylon and allowed the Jews to return home and rebuild their Temple. According to St. Thomas, “God cares so deeply for His people in every age that He contradicts their own held beliefs of God’s exclusivity for Israel by revealing his universal plan of salvation in the call of King Cyrus.” Even when they or we are in bondage or broken, or think that God is withdrawing, He offers consolation, freedom from oppression, and loving mercy. God, the Lord of past, present and future, will shape people and events for the sake of his elect. Analysis is unnecessary, cooperation is. Our praise, worship, thanksgiving, obedience, and passionate service belong to God and provide evidence that we are a grateful people in need of the Lord’s intervention. At times we are so blinded by the negative news of the hour that we lose vision of divine activity. In what ways is this unchanging God shaping today’s political, social, and religious landscape and what is your part in it? Today’s Gospel continues the debates between Jesus and the Jewish leaders who had tried to trap him but failed. The Sadducees had mocked his teachings on the resurrection of the dead, and a Scribe tried to stump him on the greatest commandment. Now, with a cleverly developed question involving religion and politics, they hope to destroy him regardless of his answer. “Tell us (teacher), is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not”? If Jesus answered “Yes” he would experience disfavor among the people who so hated the tax they may have stoned him to death. If he answered “No,” the Herodians would have reported him to the Roman government for treason. Instead, Jesus responded with a question, “Whose image and description is on the Roman coin?” When they answered, Caesar’s; he said, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” With these words, Jesus shifts the focus from devious earthly matters to glorious heavenly considerations. Paying taxes is necessary, but of greater importance is assuring our priority to give God what belongs to God. Few topics in recent history have ignited as much public debate as the balance between religion and politics. Does religious thought have any place in political discourse? Do religious believers have the right to turn their values into political action? “People who take God seriously will not remain silent about their faith. But for Catholics, the common good can never mean muting themselves in public debate on foundational issues. Christian faith is always personal but never private. Therefore, any notion of tolerance that tries to reduce faith to private idiosyncrasy, or a set of opinions that we can indulge at home but need to be quiet about in public, will always fail. While American society has ample room for believers and nonbelievers alike, our public life must be considered within the context of its Christian roots. American democracy does not ask its citizens to put aside their deeply held moral and religious beliefs for the sake of public policy. In fact, it requires exactly the opposite. As the nation’s founders knew very well, people are fallible. -- Render Unto Caesar, Doubleday Religion, Charles J. Chaput, Archbishop of Philadelphia Archbishop Chaput produces many compelling arguments in his book Render to Caesar apropos to our current struggles in the arena of religion and politics. We have already looked at some of these through the lens of today’s first reading and Gospel. With October as the month of our Blessed Mother, Mary, the holy Rosary, and respect for life we consider these as well. On August 15, Feast of the Assumption, our parish, and many others began praying a patriotic Rosary and are continuing it until November 3, election day, seeking our Blessed Mother’s intercession for the well- being of our nation. What better example can we have of respect and dignity for life than Mary, herself, who through her fiat, risked her life as a pregnant unmarried young lady in first century Palestine, where she could have suffered death from stoning. Then, when Jesus was two years old, the Holy Family fled to Egypt to save him from Herod’s slaughter of all male children two years old and under (Matthew 2:13-17). At their annual meeting, November 11-14, 2019, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), overwhelmingly approved a ‘letter’ containing the statement, “The threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because of the number of lives it destroys.” On September 29, I watched only ten minutes of the first presidential debate (yikes) but when it ended turned first to CNN then to Fox News to hear their post- debate commentary. CNN announced their poll of viewers showed Joe Biden won the debate 60% to 28%. Fox announced Trump won the debate 60% to 28%. It made me realize that whatever persuasion any of us might be we are getting our information from the wrong sources. “Do not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God” (Romans 12:2). Catholics, as responsible citizens, are instructed by our bishops and the Catechism of the Catholic Church ( CCC ) to form our consciences (CCC 1795-1802). The Church gives us three sources of divine revelation for proper conscience formation (not CNN or FOX ): Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition (Apostolic Tradition), and the teaching Magisterium of the Church (the Bishops in communion with the Pope (CCC 80-85). With these time tested, God anointed tools: Scripture, Tradition and Magisterium given by Jesus Christ to the Church he founded (Matthew 16:18) and guaranteed by the Holy Spirit’s presence (John 14:26), why would we look anywhere else to make informed decisions? Give God what belongs to God, ask our lady to intercede for our nation, and vote with a well-formed conscience. Deacon Ralph Torrelli lives in Hattiesburg and is assigned to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. Visit his web- site: www.homilypearls.com. First Reading: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6 Responsorial Psalm: 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10 2nd Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 Gospel: Matthew 22:15-21 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time What belongs to God Deacon Torrell i Sunday Scripture Commentaries