Daily Readings - Tue Jun 06 2017

First Reading - Tobit 2.9-14; 3.1

⁹But Tobit, fearing God more than the king, stole away the bodies of the slain and concealed them in his house, and in the middle of the night, he buried them¹⁰But it happened one day, being tired from burying the dead, he came into his house, and he threw himself down next to the wall, and he slept¹¹And, as he was sleeping, warm droppings from a swallow’s nest fell upon his eyes, and he was made blind¹²And so the Lord permitted this trial to befall him, in order that an example might be given to posterity of his patience, which is even like that of holy Job¹³For, even from his infancy, he had always feared God and kept his commandments, so he was not discouraged before God because of the scourge of blindness that had befallen him¹⁴But he remained immoveable in the fear of God, giving thanks to God all the days of his life

Chapter 3

¹Then Tobit sighed, and he began to pray with tears

Gospel - Mark 12.13-17

Mark

Chapter 12

¹³And they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to him, so that they might trap him with words¹⁴And these, arriving, said to him: "Teacher, we know that you are truthful and that you do not favor anyone; for you do not consider the appearance of men, but you teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to give the tribute to Caesar, or should we not give it?¹⁵And knowing their skill in deception, he said to them: "Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius, so that I may see it.¹⁶And they brought it to him. And he said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to him, "Caesar’s.¹⁷So in response, Jesus said to them, "Then render to Caesar, the things that are of Caesar; and to God, the things that are of God." And they wondered over him

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two profound lessons on faith and duty. The first reading from Tobit tells the story of a man who, despite his fears and the king's decree, chooses to honor God by burying the dead. His faith is tested when he becomes blind, yet he remains steadfast, exemplifying patience and trust in God's plan. This narrative reminds us that true faith endures even in the face of adversity, much like the story of Job. The Gospel from Mark presents Jesus being questioned about paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus' response, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's," teaches us about balancing our earthly duties with our spiritual commitments. This lesson emphasizes that our faith should guide our actions in all aspects of life, whether in our obligations to the state or in our devotion to God. These readings together remind us to trust in God's providence, even when faced with challenges. Like Tobit, we must remain faithful and patient, and like Jesus' teaching, we should strive to fulfill our duties while keeping God at the center of our lives. The moral lesson here is clear: our faith should be our compass, guiding us to trust God and balance our responsibilities with our spiritual commitments.