Gospel Reading: Matthew 22:15-21
“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.” (Matthew 22:16)
Ah, how we can envy Jesus in today’s gospel, as He effortlessly responds to the conniving plots of the Pharisees and Herodians. How many times, when we have been faced with a difficult question, decision, or situation, do we waffle and wonder and stress? How will I be perceived? What will people think? What will the consequences be? How easy it is to be paralyzed into not acting at all, or to dilute our words, actions, or responses into something meaningless. On the other hand, how often do we come off too strong, responding hastily with condemnation, isolation, and judgment?
God reminds us through the prophet Isaiah: “I am the Lord, there is no other.”
Let us turn to Him in prayer, asking that we make His opinion the one that matters the most. Let us pray He sends us the Holy Spirit to guide us in our discernment and our interactions with others, so that we can be shining lights in the world, bringing God's message to others with truth, clarity, and with love. Ask Him to help us remember that we are chosen, chosen for the work of faith, the labor of love, and for endurance in hope.
Chosen to practice our faith through little acts of trust each day. Chosen to labor in love, by choosing what is good, rather than what is easy. Chosen to endure in hope, knowing that we are loved by God and that He calls us to Himself. Chosen to be shining lights in the world, and to bring God’s message to others with truth, clarity, and with love.
Sister Molly Bernadette Spiering, CSFN
