Pastor's Column -- October 2008      

        The gradual drop in temperature and the decreased hours of daylight are a sure sign for us that Fall is upon us. We are approaching the death side of the seasonal cycle of dying and rising which clearly mirrors the paschal mystery. We read in the Sunday liturgy from the last chapters of Matthew's gospel. And in the world around us there are so many other things at work at the same time.
        October is Respect for Life month. October is designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is also the month of the Holy Rosary. It is also just the month before a critical Presidential election taking place in our nation. During this month we will focus on many and various things, all of which deserve our attention.
        On October 19 that Sunday's Gospel (Matthew 22:15-21) will pertain to Pharisees trying to corner Jesus and show him to be unpatriotic by tricking him into undermining the paying of taxes. Jesus surprises everyone by saying there is an appropriate amount of support we all need to give to the worldly cares and concerns that surround us. We need to support government, which has the charge of providing relief and support to many.
        Government is responsible for the infrastructure of our nation which we would likely not know how to live without. We should give to Caesar. We should also give to God what belongs to God. The irony of that question stems from the obvious reality that everything belongs to God, and even what and how we give to Caesar should somehow be godly.
        How we support secular endeavors should be done in a godly way as if we are also giving to God in the same. In that way, everything we do is potentially a spiritual act. Nothing has to be completely worldly if we search to find God's rightful place in all that involves us.