October 12 2011 - the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time Cycle A 2011

Fr Dan Grundy will be celebrating masses this weekend, as I have another commitment. Thanks Fr Dan.
 
Meanwile,
 
Here are some thoughts from a great resource:
 
The Monastery of Christ in the Desert Homily for October 12 2011
     29th Sunday of Ordinary Time
     Cycle A
     2011
 
 
FIRST READING
Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
 
Thus says the Lord to his anointed, Cyrus, whose right hand I grasp, subduing nations before him, and making kings run in his service, opening doors before him and leaving the gates unbarred:  For the sake of Jacob, my servant, of Israel, my chosen one, I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not.  I am the Lord and there is no other, there is no God besides me.  It is I who arm you, though you know me not, so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun people may know that there is none besides me.  I am the Lord, there is no other.
 
 
SECOND READING
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b
 
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:  grace to you and peace.  We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father, knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen.  For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.
 
 
GOSPEL  Cycle A
Matthew 22:15-21
 
The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.  And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person's status.  Tell us, then, what is your opinion:  Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"
Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax."  Then they handed him the Roman coin.  He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"  They replied, "Caesar's."  At that he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."
 
 
My sisters and brothers in Christ,
 
Who is chosen by the Lord?  Perhaps too often we think that only those who are faithful to their religious obligations are chosen by the Lord.  The Scriptures keep telling us over and over that this is not so.  God chooses anyone and everyone.  God will the salvation of every person who has ever lived.  God makes us of those who are His chosen people but also those who belong to the pagans and the gentiles.  It is important for us to realize this so that we don’t think that just because we are Christians, we have a special right to God’s divine life. 
 
In today’s first reading, from the Prophet Isaiah, we see God using Cyrus and calling Cyrus his anointed one.  Yet Cyrus was not one of the chosen people.  We also know that in the genealogy of Christ, there are present some women who did not come from the chosen people.  God works where God wants to work and uses whatever person He chooses.
 
Today’s Gospel from Saint Matthew teaches the same kind of reality.  The Pharisees are trying to trip Jesus up with their way of thinking, so that they can show others that Jesus is not anyone special.  Jesus outwits them, as usual.  God’s presence and love do not depend on keeping the all the rules that the Pharisees had found in order to protect the Law.  We should not ridicule all of these Laws because they really did help keep a strong practice of faith.  The problem is when the small laws become more important that the enormous values they are supposed to be protecting.
 
We Christians should listen to the words of the First Letter to the Thessalonians today, wherein we are told:  For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.  Living the Gospel is not just knowing the words, but living in its power by our daily actions, living in the power of the Holy Spirit, both with actions and with conviction.
 
Christianity is not a philosophy so much as a way of living daily life.
We want to be followers of Jesus Christ, living as He lived and striving to love all others as He did.  May our listening to the Word of God today move us from attentiveness to strong living actions of faith.
 
 
Your brother in the Lord,
Abbot Philip, OSB
 
 
Taken from http://christdesert.org/About_Us/Abbot_s_and_Cellarer_s_Pages/Abbot_s_Homily/index.html
 
Accessed 12/10/11