At the Master’s Table “Whose Image Do We Carry?”

Well, my friends in Christ Jesus, I think we have found one Bible passage that Uncle Sam and the IRS would be very happy to hear preached every Sunday: “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar!” I can almost imagine someone from the IRS sitting in the front pew, nodding and saying, “Father, please make sure they hear that part clearly!” or “Speak that in capital letters and in Bold.” Of course, nobody wakes up in the morning and says, “Wonderful! It is tax season! I cannot wait to fill out those forms!” Some of us begin preparing our taxes with confidence, until we open the paperwork and suddenly need a cup of coffee, a calculator, and perhaps the intercession of Saint Matthew, the patron saint of tax collectors!

But jokes aside, paying our taxes helps support the communities in which we live. We want our roads maintained, our schools supported, our firefighters and police equipped, and our public services available when we need them. Whether we are driving along Route 3, walking around Cohasset, or enjoying the waterfront in Hull, we all benefit when our communities are cared for.

My dear people of God, we all know when tax season comes, we may not sing the Te Deum as we file our returns; but we do have a responsibility to contribute fairly! Perhaps that is why today’s Gospel sounds like a favourite Bible verse for Uncle Sam. Some people approach Jesus and ask whether it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. They are trying to trap Him. If He says yes, some will criticize Him; if He says no, He could get into trouble with the authorities. But Jesus asks them to show Him a coin. “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they reply. Then Jesus gives His answer: “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” Jesus is not simply settling a tax dispute. He is inviting us to think about a much deeper question: What belongs to God? The coin carries Caesar’s image. But we carry the image of God. Our lives, our gifts, our time, our talents, our relationships, and our very existence come from Him.

We have responsibilities as citizens, neighbors, parents, workers, and members of our communities. Our faith does not excuse us from fulfilling those responsibilities. In fact, our faith should make us more honest, more generous, and more willing to serve the common good. But Jesus reminds us that no earthly authority can take God’s place in our hearts. We belong to God first. And that can be difficult to remember because life keeps sending us bills, deadlines, appointments, and responsibilities. We give our employers our time. We give our families our attention. We give our phones hours of our lives. Sometimes we give more attention to a notification on our screens than to the person

sitting right beside us! But how much time do we give to prayer? How much attention do we give to God’s Word? How often do we pause to thank Him for the life He has given us?

My dear brothers and sisters, St. Paul gives thanks for the Thessalonians’ work of faith, labour of love, and endurance in hope. Their faith was not just something they talked about. It showed in the way they lived. That is what God asks of us, too. Our faith should be visible in how we treat our neighbors in Cohasset and Hull, how patiently we listen to one another, how honestly we work, how we care for those who are lonely, and how we help those who are struggling. We belong to God not only on Sunday morning, but on Monday at work, Tuesday in traffic, Wednesday at the grocery store, and every other day of the week. And when we fail, we can return to Him, ask forgiveness, and begin again.

At the Master’s Table, we encounter the One to whom we belong. The same Jesus who speaks to us in the Scriptures gives Himself to us in the Eucharist. He feeds us with His Body and Blood and strengthens us to live our faith in the world. We come carrying our responsibilities, our worries, and our struggles. And Christ reminds us that before we belong to any job, title, institution, or earthly authority, we belong to Him.

Brother! Sister! Perhaps this week we can ask ourselves: Are we giving God what belongs to God: our hearts, our love, our faith, and our lives? We may owe Uncle Sam our taxes, and we owe our communities our honest contribution. But our deepest allegiance belongs to God, whose image we carry and whose love sustains us. At the Master’s Table, Jesus gives Himself to us completely. May we learn to give ourselves back to Him; not only with our words, but with our lives. The coin may carry Caesar’s image, but we carry God’s image. Let us live like we belong to Him.