By Jude Udoh February 28, 2013 ********** There are moments in our lives when we do not thoroughly probe our intentions before acting.
And so, “the Pharisees going, consulted among themselves how to ensnare him in his speech. And they sent to him their disciples with the Herodians saying: Master, we know that thou art a true speaker and teachest the way of God in truth. Neither carest thou for any man: for thou dost not regard the person of men. Tell us therefore what dost thou think? Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?” We are familiar with our Lord’s response in this very precinct. And so that very statement of our Lord that is being juxtaposed maliciously with cynical relativism by perverts, is a command that must be understood in its proper context for it is not to be taken as credence to syncretistic coalition between the true doctrines of Christian faith and the false decrees of the Evil one.
Given the economy of the social relationship
between the Pharisees and the Herodians, Christ gave us a deep lesson about prudence and charity. Our Lord’s answer is at once so profound that they fail to grasp its meaning, and it is also faithful to his preaching about the Kingdom of God: give Caesar what is his due, but no more, because God must assuredly be given what he has a right to (the other side of the question, which they omitted to put). What has Caesar the right to receive? -Taxes which are necessary for legitimate state expenses. What must God be given? - Obviously, obedience to all his commandments – which implies personal love and commitment. The teaching of Jesus transcends any kind of political approach, and if the faithful, using the freedom that is theirs, chose one particular method of solving temporal questions, they “ought to remember that in those cases no one is permitted to identify the authority of the Church exclusively with his own opinion” (Vatican II Gaudium et spes, 43)
For we know that no point in our Lord’s discourse with the Pharisees in the Gospels do the Pharisees in anyway, commend the Son of God. Indeed, it seems while they may be giving him a compliment by saying he is not concerned with the opinions of others, it is only to see if they could lure him into giving in to human respect and ultimately, they said it in order that he could say of course keep the money and do not give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But the Lord knowing their hypocrisy as the scripture tells us, speaks as he always does according to the truth and so we are to learn that we are to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and indeed, St Thomas Aquinas speaks of the virtue of patriotism which every member of the mystical body must exercise but that patriotism must always and everywhere be rooted in the truth for we cannot give to Caesar what is not Caesar’s and we know all too well that in our own lives, in our various environments or professional circles, in some nations and in various alliances in the world today, what is Caesar’s and what the leaders claim to be Caesars’, belong to God and ultimately, we must constantly fight the good fight spiritedly to bring about the end of the sin of abortion and all those shameful things and relationships or unions that are clearly contrary to the will of God and ultimately not for the good end of mankind, that is, the salvation of their souls. And so while we must always pray for our leaders, we must also work and give our entire effort to bring about those changes in the society that will bring about a more Christian culture and hence a more sane culture; for a Christian culture is always good to fight for because often, souls who are lost in the ordinary calculations of men, are not really lost in the Christian culture simply because the virtue of charity rings always in the hearts and minds of men and so we truly love one another and give corrections in our sins and our failings when and in the best form but not in a sanctimonious way of the puritan or in a liberalist way of the playboy but in that charitable way by which we truly communicate not our love, but the love of Christ for all souls. And so, we must constantly pray to discern the true balance which is Christian virtue by which we truly love the leaders of our nation while at the same time seeking to bring about the change in those things in our nation and in our societies. And so, each day, be conscious of your duty to be a saint. A saint! And that does not mean doing strange things. It means a daily struggle in the interior life and in heroically fulfilling your duty right through to the end. And so we are enjoined by the holy mother church to offer sacrifices of prayers for our leaders – the priestly order especially the bishops and ultimately the Pope, the Vicar of Christ that God may vivify them with the power of the Holy Spirit in order that they may lead us safely through our pilgrimage here on earth onto life everlasting in the world to
come. And at this period of interregnum, let us, in our trust in the saintly communion, intensify our prayers for the church and her pastors as well as those who hold and teach the catholic and apostolic faith.
His Holiness, (Pope Emeritus) Benedict XVI
O Lord Jesus Christ, Supreme Pastor of Your Church, we thank you for the ministry of Pope Benedict XVI and the selfless care with which he has led us as Successor of Peter, and Your Vicar on earth. Good Shepherd, who founded Your Church on the rock of Peter’s faith and have never left Your flock untended, look with love upon us now, and sustain Your Church in faith, hope and charity. Grant Lord Jesus, in Your boundless love for us, a new Pope for Your Church who will please You by his holiness and lead us faithfully to You, who are the same yesterday, today and forever. Amen.
***************************** Jude is from the Southern part of Nigeria. He has been Catholic from childhood. But this is not why he remains Catholic. He is a faithful Catholic because he finds light and truth in the teaching of the Church. He is married and is dedicated to Evangelisation and Catholic Apologetics as a way of exercising his baptismal commitment. He can be contacted via e-mail on jude.udoh78@gmail.com â„Ś +231 80 777 88 333