Tuesday of Week 9 in Ordinary Time
First Reading
2 Peter 3:11–15,17–18
You should be living holy and saintly lives while you wait and long for the Day of God to come, when the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat.
What we are waiting for is what he promised: the new heavens and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home.
So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace.
Think of our Lord’s patience as your opportunity to be saved.
You have been warned about this, my friends; be careful not to get carried away by the errors of unprincipled people, from the firm ground that you are standing on.
Instead, go on growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
To him be glory, in time and in eternity. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 89(90):2–4,10,14,16
In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Before the mountains were born
or the earth or the world brought forth,
you are God, without beginning or end.
In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn men back to dust
and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’
To your eyes a thousand years
are like yesterday, come and gone,
no more than a watch in the night.
In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Our span is seventy years,
or eighty for those who are strong.
And most of these are emptiness and pain.
They pass swiftly and we are gone.
In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
In the morning, fill us with your love;
we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Show forth your work to your servants;
let your glory shine on their children.
In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Gospel
Mark 12:13–17
The chief priests and the scribes and the elders sent to Jesus some Pharisees and some Herodians to catch him out in what he said.
These came and said to him:
‘Master, we know you are an honest man, that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you, and that you teach the way of God in all honesty.
Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay, yes or no?’
Seeing through their hypocrisy he said to them:
‘Why do you set this trap for me? Hand me a denarius and let me see it.’
They handed him one and he said to them:
‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’
‘Caesar’s,’ they told him.
Jesus said to them:
‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’
This reply took them completely by surprise.
Reflection
Today’s readings invite us to live with eternity in view.
Saint Peter speaks with urgency and clarity.
The Christian life is lived in expectation of fulfilment — the promised new heavens and new earth where righteousness will dwell.
The Catechism teaches that creation itself awaits renewal and transformation in Christ (CCC 1042–1050). This promise gives shape to our daily lives.
We are not waiting idly.
Peter calls us to holiness.
He reminds us that God’s patience is mercy. Every extra day is another invitation to repentance, conversion, and growth in grace.
This should stir gratitude and purpose within us.
The Psalm deepens this perspective by reminding us of God’s eternity and our human frailty.
Our lives are brief.
Time passes quickly.
Yet God remains our refuge across every generation.
This awareness is not meant to produce fear, but wisdom — the wisdom to prioritise what truly matters.
The Gospel presents another challenge.
The Pharisees seek to trap Jesus with a political question, but Christ responds by revealing a deeper truth.
“Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar — and to God what belongs to God.”
The denarius bears Caesar’s image.
But every human person bears the image of God (CCC 1701–1702).
This changes everything.
Our deepest identity is not political, cultural, professional, or social.
We belong to God.
To give God what belongs to Him is to offer our whole selves: our thoughts, our choices, our hopes, our obedience, our love.
This is true worship.
The world asks for our attention.
God asks for our hearts.
Today we are invited to ask:
What am I giving to God that already belongs to Him?
One line to carry
Lord, help me offer my whole life to You as Your image and beloved creation.
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