Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord

Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord

By REV. FR. SAMUEL FREDERICK

 Tobit 2:9-14, Mark 12: 13-17. Today’s first reading teaches us the virtue of perseverance, at whose heart there should be love, leavened with humour. Tobit’s wife feels that her husband’s piety was so good to the fault.

Today’s Gospel also ends with no clear answer, only an enigmatic, general principle: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s but to God what is God’s.” The coin can be given to Caesar because his image was stamped on it, but what is to be given to God is something much more fundamental. That was why Jesus spelt out what is due to God: We are to love God with all our heart, soul and mind (Mk 12:29). God is to be our first and greatest love, our primary commitment. That certainly can never be said of any human authority, political or otherwise. No Caesar, no political institution, no human institution can ever take the place of God in our lives.

May the Lord take away from us all that is harmful and give us all that will be for our good! Amen!! Have a terrific day!!! 

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