Monday, August 11, 2014
19th Week
in Ordinary Time
St. Clare of Assisi
1st Reading: Ez 1:2-5, 4-28
Gospel: Matthew 17:22-27
When they returned to Capernaum, the Temple tax collectors came to Peter and asked him, “Does your master pay the temple tax?” He answered, “Certainly.”
Peter then entered the house, but immediately Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Simon? Who pay taxes or tributes to the kings of the earth: their sons or the other people?” Peter replied, “The others.” And Jesus told him, “The sons, then, are tax-free. But so as not to offend these people, go to the sea, throw in a hook and open the mouth of the first fish you catch. You will find a coin in it, take it and let it pay for you and for me.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
A teacher asks the class what is the capital of the Philippines. A student replies: “Ma’am, the Philippines has no more capital, only debts!” His answer provokes us into taking a second look at the problem of corruption in our country. We blame the politicians, but in the last analysis, we are all guilty. Politicians do the pilfering directly because they have access to funds, while ordinary people do it indirectly by cheating on their taxes. Citizens find in the corruption of public officials the convenient excuse not to pay taxes. But it is our duty to support the government. Taxation is the life blood of the State.
Moreover, the sin of others can never justify anybody’s malicious breach of the law. Jesus did not even exempt himself from paying taxes despite the corruption prevalent in the tax collection system of his times. Today’s Gospel, of course refers to Temple tax. But as to taxes due to the government Jesus’ principle was: “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar…”
As followers of Jesus we too must strive to be good citizens. Much is yet to be done. Consider how government workers who cannot pilfer much because they don’t have access to “pork” shortchange our country by their least work output. Workers on road repairs are classic examples. With how slow they work even as the public is watching, we are tempted to revise the road sign from “Slow down, men working” to “Slow men working down”.
We justify tax evasion by pointing to how the politicians just pocket our money. Politicians excuse their inefficiency by pointing to how we fail to pay our tax duties religiously. We are like Adam and Eve. When the Lord asked Adam to account for his misbehavior in paradise, he pointed to Eve who in turn pointed to the snake. Too bad for the snake, it had no fingers, and no one to point his fingers to! —Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com. Website:www.frdan.org.
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