Reading 1
2 Pt 3:12-15a, 17-18
Beloved:
Wait for and hasten the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames
and the elements melted by fire.
But according to his promise
we await new heavens and a new earth
in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you await these things,
be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.
And consider the patience of our Lord as salvation.
Therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned,
be on your guard not to be led into the error of the unprincipled
and to fall from your own stability.
But grow in grace
and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
To him be glory now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Gospel
Mk 12:13-17
Some Pharisees and Herodians were sent
to Jesus to ensnare him in his speech.
They came and said to him,
“Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion.
You do not regard a person’s status
but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?
Should we pay or should we not pay?”
Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them,
“Why are you testing me?
Bring me a denarius to look at.”
They brought one to him and he said to them,
“Whose image and inscription is this?”
They replied to him, “Caesar’s.”
So Jesus said to them,
“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God.”
They were utterly amazed at him.
Meditation: Peter 3:12-15,17-18
Be on your guard. (2 Peter 3:17)
Many of us spend a good deal of time protecting our computers. We install special software and we scan our hard drives regularly. We do all this because we have seen the damage that can happen when a computer is attacked. But we have another asset that is far more important than our computers, yet most of us spend very little time guarding it. What is that asset? Our minds! Let’s review what these “viruses” of the mind can be to see how they can rob us of our joy and peace.
The three main enemies we face are the devil, our own fallen nature, and the world. They work together with one simple strategy: Catch us off guard. For example, let’s say that you and your spouse have a disagreement that results in tension or hurt feelings. You get a sense from God that you should apologize and get reconciled. But just as you begin to consider this, a barrage of other thoughts begins swirling in your mind: “Why should I be the one to apologize?” Or, “I messed things up too much this time. Why did I do it?”
Once all these accusatory voices get going, your odds of responding positively to God decreases, and your chance of losing your peace increases.
If it sounds overwhelming, don’t worry. You do have the tools to fight back. You can repeat a favorite Scripture passage over and over until your peace returns. You can find comfort and direction in prayer. You can even take a practical approach and jot down on paper what is going through your mind, and try to identify whether these thoughts are coming from the Lord or one of your enemies.
You really can protect your mind from these subtle, and not so subtle, attacks. And it costs less than installing spyware on a computer! All it takes is a little practice and an alert mind.
“Holy Spirit, help me to guard my mind. Teach me to hear your voice despite the distractions and temptations that come my way. May my peace spread to everyone I meet today.”
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