22 October 2017

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 45: 1. 4-6
Psalm 95: 1, 3-5, 7-10
1st Thessalonians 1: 1-5
The Gospel of Matthew 22: 15-2

The Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap Jesus in what he said. And they sent their disciples to him, together with the Herodians, to say, ‘Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in an honest way, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you. Tell us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’ But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied, ‘You hypocrites! Why do you set this trap for me? Let me see the money you pay the tax with.’ They handed him a denarius, and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they replied. He then said to them, ‘Very well, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’

Becoming a true image of God

“Therefore give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” We are to give back to each their due. Now this is a saying that is truly full of wisdom and heavenly understanding because it teaches us that there are two sorts of power, one earthly and human, the other heavenly and divine… It teaches us that we are bound in this way to a twofold form of obedience, one to human laws and the other to divine… We are to pay Caesar with the coin bearing the image and inscription of Caesar and God with what has received the seal and image of the divine likeness: “The light of your countenance, Lord, is signed upon us” (Ps 4:7)

We have been created in the image and likeness of God (Gn 1:26). You are a man, O Christian. So you are the money in the divine treasure-chest, a coin bearing the image and inscription of the divine emperor. From now on if I ask with Christ: “Whose image and inscription are these?” you reply: “God’s”. And I answer: “So why do you not give back to God what is his?” If we truly want to be God’s image then we must resemble Christ, since he is the image of God’s goodness and “the very imprint of his being” (Heb 1:3). And God “predestined those he foreknew to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rm 8,29). Christ truly gave back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. He observed in the most perfect way possible the precepts contained in the two tablets of the divine law “becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). Thus he was adorned in the highest degree with all virtues, both manifest and concealed.
Saint Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619), Capuchin, Doctor of the Church

Saints of the week
Mon 23 St. John of Capistrano, Priest
Tue 24 St. Antony Mary Claret, Bishop 
Sat 28 Ss. Simon and Jude, Apostles
Sun 29 Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Queen of Palestine (Main Patroness of our diocese). 

Psalter Week I

Readings for BVM Queen of Palestine
1st reading: Acts 1: 12-14
Psalm: 1 Mac. 6,14b-15; Ecl. 45, 12; Cant. 5,1; 4,10-11
2nd Reading: Apocalipse 11:19 – 12:1,3-6, 10
Gospel: Luke 1, 41-50

Mary Queen of Palestine

This feast is for us all a precious chance to take a pause in the contemplation of Mary, humble child of Nazareth who, at the announcement of the angel, commits herself without hesitation to the divine plan of Salvation: “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done unto me according to your word,”(Lk 1:38) and sets off straight away on the path, past Galilee, Samaria and Judea, to see her cousin Elizabeth who, at an elderly age, is also expecting a child: She is a servant of the Lord, attentive to those who are in need (…)

She is on our path, radiant as model of faithfulness to the Word of God and motherly concern for those who are in need. She invites us to be agents of peace in a region tormented by violence, through our commitment to active solidarity, and we plead with her to call upon her divine Son for peace in Jerusalem, for the Holy Land, for the Middle East, for the whole world, this peace which is born in the heart and which makes us feel like brothers and sisters, without distinguishing between race or religion.
Msgr. Antonio Franco, Assessor of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
Meditation for October 25, 2016

Curry and Culture Night Sat 28 October 8pm – midnight at the LPH. Music, dance, food, quiz raffle and more to help Caritas Paphos. Contact Wendy on 9904 0294. Or Kumari on 9663 1888.

Fr. Carlos is doing a sponsored parachute jump for Caritas on the 2nd December. To Sponsor him please see poster in the Coffee Shop.

Christmas Shopping Trip to Nicosia Tues 12 December. 3 stops M & S, Ledra Street near the border (passport required) final stop Ikea. Raffle with prizes. Bus leaves 8am from Debenhams Upper parking, returns around 7 pm. Cost €17 to help Hospice. Call Linda 99562387.

Hymns of Praise: Friday 27 Oct. at 6 pm. All are welcome at Agia Kyriaki Chuch

CARITAS PAPHOS currently needs

• Nοn-perishable food to help about 40 households weekly.  
• Computer whiz to manage crowdfunding appeals.
• Teachers for basic Greek and Transportation of students.

Prayers and donations always help. Contact Wendy Burdon 99 040294.

Mass Times HERE