St.
Boniface, bishop and martyr
2
Peter 3:12-15a, 17-18, 1st Reading
Psalm
90
Mark
12:13-17
Call
to Worship Song
Entrance Antiphon
This
holy man fought to the death for the law of God of his God, never cowed by the
threats of the wicked; his house was built on solid rock.
Opening Prayer
Lord,
your martyr Boniface spread the faith by his teaching and witnessed to it with
his blood. Keep us loyal to our faith like St. Boniface and give us the courage
to profess it in our lives. We ask this…
Alleluia
Alleluia,
alleluia. May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our
hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to his call. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Paying Taxes to the
Emperor
13They sent some Pharisees and Herodians to him to ensnare him in his
speech. 14They came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are a
truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion. You do not
regard a person’s status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we
not pay?”15Knowing their
hypocrisy he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look
at.”16They brought one to him and he
said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They replied to him,
“Caesar’s.”17So Jesus said to them, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and
to God what belongs to God.” They were utterly amazed at him.
Reflection
“We
wait for … new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will be at home.” ~
2 Peter 3:13, 1st Reading
Building
a world of righteousness is not just a question of preaching God’s Word to the
world. It is also a question of building up God’s Kingdom in the world. It is a
question of combating those structures in society that militate against God’s
Kingdom. It is a question of declaring outright war on attitudes, structures,
and procedures that exploit the poor, oppress minorities, and allow special
interest groups to prevail over the common good of all.
What
am I doing to combat evil structures in society? What keeps me from taking a more
aggressive stand against them?
Reflection Credits: Mark
Link, SJ; Daily Homilies
Prayer Response
Lord,
may the mysteries we receive give us the spiritual courage which made your
martyr St. Boniface faithful in your service and victorious in his suffering.
We ask this…
For Action
What
can you easily do to combat the evils in our society? Answer: You can refuse to
be a part of it. A more aggressive way is to join a religious group that
condemns and works against a particular evil you also dislike.
“Everybody
was asked to do it. Everybody was sure somebody would do it. Anybody could have
done it. But nobody did it.” ~
Christopher News Notes
Silencing
We cannot know God unless we have listened to
him in the silence of our hearts. Rest in the loving arms of the Lord with an
open mind and an open heart.