WHOSE IMAGE IS ON YOUR COIN

(A homily for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time)

The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus when they demanded his opinion about paying taxes to Caesar. One of their guys called out from the crowd,

“(Hey) teacher, ..., what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay (taxes) to Caesar or not? ”

Now Jesus probably had heard this question before and knew that, coming from these guys, the Pharisees, it was a trick question.  At the time of Jesus there were, among the Pharisees those that felt that paying taxes to Caesar was immoral and many faithful Jews agreed with them. Caesar was the title of the Emperor of Rome and so the title represented the civil authority in Palestine at the time. If Jesus agreed with them his enemies would report him to the Romans as a tax dodger. If he disagreed with them they would claim that he was not a faithful Jew.

He asked them to show him the coin that was required to pay the tax. When they handed him a Roman coin. Jesus deflated their trap with a simple question.

Whose image is on the coin? 

Lets try it here. You and I probably have, in our pocket or our purse, some examples of the currency that we use to pay our taxes? Take out one bill and look at it. I see see that many of you are now holding a one dollar bill.

Let me ask each of you - whose image is on that dollar bill? {George Washington}  And what does it say just above his picture? {United States of America}. 

We all agree, then, that this is the "coin", the money, used to pay taxes in our country?

Then we hear Jesus say, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

This confrontation on the shore of the Sea of Galilee gives us a way to understand how we can be both a faithful follower of Christ and a good citizen. Since this reading is usually heard on a fall Sunday and our annual election day comes up every fall in November we remind you that a good Christian not only pays his or her taxes but votes. So be sure you get out and vote in November.

Now Jesus was called “Teacher” by his Disciples and by the Pharisees. However, he was not a teacher of Roman Tax Law nor of Roman civil law regulating life in an occupied country, he was known as a teacher of God’s Truth. Lets listen to Jesus’ statement again.......

“.. repay to Caesar what belong to Caesar and to God what belongs to God”

Obviously Jesus is about the business of teaching about the second part of his declaration, our relationship with God.

If you or I  apply for a Job we are often asked to take tests and participate in an interview where the potential boss asks us questions. We are asked to list our credentials, our degrees and our experience. You might say they are checking if you or I  have the "coin" to do the job.

Likewise, when we encounter God he asks us to show Him the coin of our lives. What are we living for. What is it that we are seeking and what are we doing to obtain it? Our God asks us to open our hearts and tell him:

“Whose image is the coin of our hearts?”

Of course the coin that Jesus will ask you and I about is not literally a metal coin or paper bill. What is the coin of our lives and how can we determine the image on that coin?

Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians (that we read today) says he thanks God for them (the Thessalonians) because of their Faith, Hope and Love (Charity). You might say he recognizes them as Christians because the coin of their lives are Faith Hope and Love.

Bankers will evaluate the value of coins and bills based upon the financial strength of the issuing country and its banking system. In the case of money the image or inscription on the coins or bills identifies the issuing country and thus their value.

In the case of the coin of your life or mine, our Faith, Hope and Love, the issue is who stands behind this coin.

Paul goes on to say,

“The Gospel did not come to you in word alone but also in the power of the Holy Spirit,” 

Just as in money there is a big difference between currencies that are created by printing and those  currencies that are backed by an economy and reserves.

You might say the value of a currency backed only by a printing press is zero but the currency backed by a strong economy and reserves is high. Thus different currencies are rated differently in comparison to each other. Even if currencies come in the same denominations, as Canadian and US currencies are both called dollars and cents, they are given different values in the market place.

And so when we look at the Faith, Hope and Love of our lives we are concerned with whose economy and reserves is backing them.

When anyone asks to see currency of your life does the image of our God shine through?

At the end of your life, when God asks you whose image is on your coins, will you be able to say your life reflected the image of God?   Or will your spiritual coins reflect the images of other gods, gods such as money, power, pleasure or self worship? 

When Jesus asks you about your coins of faith, hope and charity will you be able to show they bear the mark of God’s economy and not that of man. That they are of great value because they are backed by the power and reserves of the Holy Spirit? 

My friends, if we belong to God, the "coin" of our lives must clearly reflect His image.

© Copyright 2014 Joseph E. Hilber. All rights reserved. 

A Journey on the Road of Faith

A relative has written a book about her awakened search for God. Among those cheering her journey are Fr Richard Rohr, O.F.M. and many relatives and friends. In my brief review in Amazon I said the following:

A wonderful journey through her garden of friends. however, the treasure seems to still lie ahead as one is left with the sense that most of her journey or at least the telling of it is yet to come, perhaps in a sequel.

Father Rohr in his editorial review said this:

Most of us do not read formal theology books, and if we do, we too often find them abstract or distant.  Well, here is a fine antidote!

As a Deacon I have the joy of hearing many people's faith journey stories. I am sure you will enjoy Marsha's conversations with her friends about their faith and her journey.

You can order Her book in paperback or for Kindle by clicking here.

She also makes frequent postings about her journey on her blog "Friending God"

You can read her blog by clicking here.

Homily for Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

If an unexpected visitor arrived at my family’s home my mother would mobilize the older kids to help welcome and serve the guest.  My oldest sister would be assigned to the kitchen to help get the coffee going and make up a plate of cookies. I would be assigned to turn off the radio, be sure the guest got the best chair and hang up coats. Dad and the younger kids would chat with the guest until the refreshments arrived.

When the refreshments did arrive the young kids were often urged to ‘go play’ so the older folks could talk.

One day a favorite Aunt arrived early for a planned visit while Mom and Dad were still at the grocery store.

My oldest sister went right to work in the kitchen and I did my part. My other siblings crowded around our aunt but the second oldest sister soon took over the conversation. This sister was an expert at asking questions and soon the conversation was a full blown  interview. Fortunately my aunt was enjoying the attention.

At that point my older sister came stomping out of the kitchen demanded that her sister join her in preparing the refreshments.

Perhaps you have similar memories that make today’s Gospel reading from Luke seem very familiar.

Luke tells us a little story about Jesus’ visit to the village of Bethany and his first visit with a family that will play an important role in his earthly journey.

He is invited to dine at the home of a local family that most likely heard him preach. The assertive sister, Martha, probably rushed right up and invited the traveling Rabbi home for dinner.

When he arrive the assertive sister starts preparing the meal while the quiet sister, Mary, is making the guest comfortable. Soon the teacher is engaged in conversation with Mary and the rest of the family.

Then Martha emerges from the kitchen and demands that Mary come and help with the preparation of the meal.

Jesus does not send Mary to the kitchen or ask Martha to come and listen. He implies that both roles are important and that Mary had chosen the ‘better’ part.

This bible story has created endless discussion about how best to follow the lord. Is it better to ‘serve’ the Lord or ‘listen’ to the lord? Am I a ‘Martha type’ or am I a ‘Mary type’?

Another way of describing today’s Gospel and  Old Testament readings is as lessons about hospitality.

In our reading from the Book of Genesis we find Abraham and to Sarah camped at a desert oasis. In the midday heat he is sitting in the shade near his tent praying. He looks up and sees three travelers arriving.

He rushes to meet them offering to bring them water and food. He urges them to stay a while. He has Sarah begin preparing a meal, sends servants for water and has additional meat sent to the kitchen.

He visits with them and when the meal is ready he serves it himself. During the conversation that follows the meal one of the three tell Abraham that when he returns in a year that Sarah will have a son.

Sarah overhears the prediction and she laughs to herself since her monthly cycles have stopped. While she had always wanted children she knew it was very unlikely that she would conceive now, at her advanced age.

But she did conceive and Isaac was born before the year was out.

Again we see a biblical story that demonstrates both listening to God and serving God.

In a sense serving and listening are connected. By serving the strangers in the oasis, Abraham and Sarah were able to hear God’s prophesy about Isaac. By welcoming Jesus into their home Mary and Martha learned that listening to God and serving God are both required.

In the Gospel of Matthew (ch 25:31-46)

We read or hear Jesus describing the final judgment in a way that makes this point dramatically.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 

He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 

Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ 

Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ 

And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ ”

That’s pretty clear.  Serve your fellow men and women and you will be serving God. Listen to your fellow men and women and you will hear of the presence of God in their lives.

Martha and Mary encounter Jesus in the context of a meal.

Abraham and Sarah encounter God’s messengers and share a meal with them.

We encounter Jesus here at Mass both by listening to his teaching and in a meal, in the Eucharist. In both ways he asks us to go forth and share his Good News by serving our fellow men and women.

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© Copyright 2013 Joseph E. Hilber. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of the author.

A Treasure Worth Writting About

Recently Jennifer, the author of the Blog "Conversion Diary" asked  her readers around the world to respond to a series of questions about the social climate in their country concerning religious faith and its practice. The responses were numerous and if you have the time (2+ hours) you might want to read them yourself. I was planning a write a reaction to what was reported from all over the world but one of my favorite local bloggers, Roxane Salonen, posted an excellent reaction on her blog today that I wish to recommend.

She begins by giving an introduction of her own young Christian mother's  journey, a sort of into to a Christian Life in Upper Midwest, USA. Here are a few sentences from this introduction:

"I've had a lot of chances recently to reflect on how blessed I've been in my faith walk. I grew up in a home with a father who respected (though didn't always practice) the faith of his origins and a mother who covered herself daily with faith like one does a favorite sweater on a chilly day. It was always within reach, routinely relied upon and rarely questioned.

Eventually, I had to find my own way, and though I wandered around a while, in time I was surprised to find myself wandering back "home" to the Faith in which I'd begun my life. As an adult, my Catholic faith is a treasure like nothing else -- something that feeds me, keeps me grounded, holds me up when I'm about to tip over. It keeps me moving forward on a daily basis and fills me, through grace, with joy and hope."

Her brief description of a joyful religious life in America provides the background from which she reacts to those reported from around the world by Jennifer's readers.

You can read her entire essay by clicking here. Those of you in Western Minnesota and Eastern North and South Dakota may recognize her as a frequent columnist in the Fargo Forum, various church newspaper and on Catholic Radio, WVXR.