A Letter from Fr. Paul - Sunday, October 18th

Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.”  This is a complicated saying of Jesus that is often twisted or misinterpreted, but there are two things coming up in the near future for which it is relevant:

First: Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.  I remember one time I was at a gathering where a man was complaining vociferously about the condition of the streets, the lack of police service, etc.  A few sentences later he was bragging about how he found a way to avoid paying any taxes!!  We have responsibilities as citizens.  One is to be willing to pay our fair share for the infrastructure that we use: roads, water, fire and police protection, etc.  Another is to participate in choosing our leaders.  So many people complain about our civil leadership or lack of it, but then don’t vote!  We have the responsibility to study which candidates best reflect Gospel values and then vote on November 3rd!  

Second, …give to God what is God’s.  This coming weekend I will introduce our 2021 Stewardship Drive and the following weekend we will have our witness talks (which we will also put on our website). This is an opportunity to “give to God what is God’s,” that is, to 
support the ministries of our community, which work to bring about God’s Kingdom of justice and love.  God has blessed us all with time, talent, and treasure. We show our gratitude by generously sharing from what God has given us.  Hopefully, all parishioners will pledge so that we can responsibly budget for the next fiscal year.

Please pray for the success of our pledge drive and for God’s Spirit to guide our elections on November 3rd, as we struggle to build up his Kingdom through our participation in civil life and in the Church. We also continue to work and pray for equality, justice, and peace. May God continue to bless each of us. Be safe!