The Gospel for Tuesday of the ninth week in Ordinary Time is taken from St. Mark 12th chapter 13 to the 17th verse. Some Pharisees and Herodians were sent to Jesus to ensnare him in his speech. They came and said to him, teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion. You do not regard a person’s status, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?

Should we pay or should we not pay? Knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at. They brought one to him, and he said to them, whose image and inscription is this? They replied to him, caesar’s. So Jesus said to them, repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.

They were utterly amazed at him. There’s always been a temptation to separate the spiritual life from the life in the world. And what Jesus is saying so clearly. We have responsibility to be attentive to all that God needs from us in order to fulfill his plan. And we need to support all the things of the world that are there to make the world better. We have responsibility both to our spiritual life and to the life we share together in the material world.

Let us pray. Father, we know that you call us to be in the world, but not caught up in the corruption of the world. But we have a responsibility to free the world from its shadow, from its darkness. We have that responsibility. And we ask your grace, and we ask your wisdom and your patience. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.