The things that are God's

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Venite filii audite me

The Monks of Pluscarden Abbey

Today is Tuesday the 2nd of June, in the 9th week of Ordinary Time.

The monks of Pluscarden Abbey sing 'Venite filii, audite me'. Come, my sons and daughters, listen to me…. Come to the Lord and be enlightened; and your faces will not be put to shame.’ As you enter into prayer now, can you sense that invitation from God? Can you hear those words spoken to you? And accept the welcome, and th2at reassurance that God wants to give you?

2:21

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 12:13-17

Then they sent to [Jesus] some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. And they came and said to him, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?’ But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, ‘Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.’ And they brought one. Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ And they were utterly amazed at him.

4:04

Begin this time of prayer by getting in touch with the atmosphere of the passage. This seemingly polite questioning by the Pharisees and their allies is actually anything but polite. It’s designed only to trap Jesus, to get him to incriminate himself. What would it feel like to be on the receiving end of this interrogation?

Jesus immediately sees through their hypocrisy. What do you imagine is going on in his heart and mind as he confronts his persecutors here?

Once Jesus has answered them, we are told that his questioners are “utterly amazed”. How do you think that they might have reacted, both then and there and later on?

As you hear the passage again, consider what Jesus’s answer means to you, in your own context.

7:31

Mark 12:13-17

Then they sent to [Jesus] some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. And they came and said to him, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?’ But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, ‘Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.’ And they brought one. Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ And they were utterly amazed at him.

9:00

“Give to God the things that are God’s”. You might like, in these last moments of prayer, to speak with Jesus about what, for you, those “things that are God’s” are.

11:12

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be

World without end

Amen