First reading 2 Peter 3:11-15,17-18
We are waiting for the new heaven and the new earth
You should be living holy and saintly lives while you wait and long for the Day of God to come, when the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat. What we are waiting for is what he promised: the new heavens and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home. So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace. Think of our Lord’s patience as your opportunity to be saved. You have been warned about this, my friends; be careful not to get carried away by the errors of unprincipled people, from the firm ground that you are standing on. Instead, go on growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory, in time and in eternity. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm 89(90):2-4,10,14,16
O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
Before the mountains were born
or the earth or the world brought forth,
you are God, without beginning or end.
You turn men back to dust
and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’
To your eyes a thousand years
are like yesterday, come and gone,
no more than a watch in the night.
Our span is seventy years,
or eighty for those who are strong.
And most of these are emptiness and pain.
They pass swiftly and we are gone.
In the morning, fill us with your love;
we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Show forth your work to your servants;
let your glory shine on their children.
Gospel Mark 12:13-17
Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God
The chief priests and the scribes and the elders sent to Jesus some Pharisees and some Herodians to catch him out in what he said. These came and said to him, ‘Master, we know you are an honest man, that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you, and that you teach the way of God in all honesty. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay, yes or no?’ Seeing through their hypocrisy he said to them, ‘Why do you set this trap for me? Hand me a denarius and let me see it.’ They handed him one and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they told him. Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’ This reply took them completely by surprise.
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Take a step toward love
“You should be living holy and saintly lives while you wait and long for the Day of God to come…” (1st reading). We will one day meet God face-to-face when we cross over the threshold of death. However, while we are still here on earth, we must always live a life of love, which is the path of holiness. Living holy and saintly lives is not simply piously kneeling at saintly statues or collecting prayer cards of saints. Instead, it is living with love by doing our daily tasks with honesty and joy, offering our time to serve our brothers and sisters and treating those closest to us with respect and affection.
In the gospel, it is interesting to see that even the enemies of Jesus could recognise and affirm that Jesus was an honest man, that achieving power was not on his agenda and that He taught the ways of God with sincerity. Today, let us follow Jesus and become people of integrity and strive to live a life of love that even people who do not like us may recognise God working in and through us.
Reflective question:
How can I be faithful to do little acts of love and kindness to those around me today?
How can I be faithful to do little acts of love and kindness to those around me today?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year B” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
