HOMILY OF 19TH MONDAY IN ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B

HOMILY OF 19TH MONDAY IN ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B

HOMILY THEME: SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

BY: Bishop Gerald M. Musa

Ezekiel 1:2-5,24-28, Psalm 148:1-2,11-14, Matthew 17:22-27

“A tax is a fine for doing well; a fine is a tax for doing wrong,” says Mark Twain. In ancient times, kings usually collected taxes from foreigners, and since Jesus was not a foreigner, he was not obliged to pay taxes. However, Jesus and his disciples paid taxes to avoid scandal and to set a good example. He wanted to teach his followers the importance of being responsible citizens, so he instructed Peter to go and get some money to pay the tax. By asking Peter to find the money in a fish, Jesus was also teaching his disciples to pay taxes and levies from their labor and income.

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Every true religion helps people to know God, understand what God requires of them, and reminds them of their civic and social responsibilities. As Christians, we are called to be law-abiding citizens. Jesus paid the temple tax, which was used for the upkeep of the temple, to demonstrate what it means to be a good citizen. Serving God should not distance us from our social responsibilities; rather, our closeness to God should heighten our awareness of our obligations to the society in which we live.

Are we aware of our social and civic responsibilities, and how committed are we to being good citizens? How much effort do we make to set good examples for others to follow?

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