October 18, 2026 -29th Sunday of Ordinary Time
This Sunday’s readings invite us to place our ultimate trust in God, who rules over every power and works through unexpected people and circumstances. In the first reading from Isaiah, the Lord addresses Cyrus, the pagan king of Persia. God calls him “his anointed,” grasps his right hand, and uses him to free the Israelites from exile—even though Cyrus does not know the Lord. “I am the LORD and there is no other,” God declares. This powerful reminder shows that the Lord directs history. He can accomplish His purposes through anyone, even those outside the community of faith. No earthly power stands beyond His reach.
The responsorial psalm echoes this truth with joyful praise: “Give the Lord glory and honor.” All the earth is called to sing a new song, proclaim His wonders among the nations, and recognize that the Lord alone is king who governs the peoples with equity. Our response is clear: worship, thanksgiving, and the offering of our lives in praise.
St. Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, gives thanks for a community marked by “work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope.” The Gospel came to them not in word alone but in power and in the Holy Spirit. Their faith was alive and active. Paul’s greeting reminds us that authentic Christian living flows from a living relationship with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ—expressed in concrete acts of love and steadfast hope.
The Gospel brings these themes into sharp focus. The Pharisees and Herodians try to trap Jesus with a question about the census tax: “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” Jesus, knowing their malice, asks for the coin and points to Caesar’s image and inscription. His answer is both wise and profound: “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
We have legitimate duties as citizens—taxes, civic responsibilities, respect for lawful authority. Yet these never claim our deepest allegiance. We are made in the image of God. Our hearts, our very selves, belong to Him. The coin may bear Caesar’s image, but we bear God’s. Everything we are and have is ultimately His.
These readings challenge us to examine our priorities. Do we compartmentalize our faith, giving God only a portion of our time or attention? Or do we live with the awareness that God is Lord of all—history, nations, and our daily lives? We fulfill our earthly responsibilities with honesty and integrity, while offering our whole selves—our work, relationships, decisions, and hopes—to the One who alone is God. May we, like the Thessalonians, live with active faith, generous love, and enduring hope. And may we always give to God what truly belongs to Him: our hearts. “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
God Bless everyone always!!!
Fr. Stan
