Bible Diary

Daily Reading

Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
354

FIRST READING

2 Pt 3:12-15a, 17-18

Beloved: Waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved,
and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens
and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these,
be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish,
and at peace.
And count the patience of our Lord as salvation.
You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand,
take care that you are not carried away
with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.
But grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

PSALM

Ps 90:2, 3-4, 10, 14 and 16

Response: In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

You return man to dust
and say, “Return, O children of man!”
For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a watch in the night.

The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.

GOSPEL

Mk 12:13-17

They sent to Jesus some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians,
to trap him in his talk.
And they came and said to him,
“Teacher, we know that you are true
and do not care about anyone’s opinion.
For you are not swayed by appearances,
but truly teach the way of God.
Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?
Should we pay them, or should we not?”
But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them,
“Why put me to the test?
Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”
And they brought one.
And he said to them,
“Whose likeness and inscription is this?”
They said to him, “Caesar’s.”
Jesus said to them,
“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,
and to God the things that are God’s.”
And they marveled at him.

Daily Reflection

The Gospel tells of one more instance of the Pharisees and Herodians putting aside their differences to try and trap Jesus.

They try to disguise their true motive in flattery but they aren’t looking for answers when they pose their trick question. They aren’t really asking for help or guidance. They want to see if Jesus would go against the law and advise them not to pay their taxes - an act of rebellion and treason, which would have sealed His fate. They were challenging Him to declare what He believed.

We are faced with this same dilemma today – the tug of the material world versus the spiritual. How much time must we spare from ‘essential’ work, study, recreation, and so on? How much time must we spare for the practice of our faith? How do we prioritise? How do we respond to this challenge?

As professed followers of Christ, we already know the answer. And lest we forget, keep Jesus’ words in mind: we must ‘give to God what is God’s’.