PIETY

Matthew 22:21
“…repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar…to God what belongs to God.”
---------------------------------

I would frown whenever I see my income tax return. 33% of my annual pay would be deducted to pay taxes to the government. It is not that I don’t really want to pay taxes, but my thinking, like most of us, is that the government is not really putting these into proper use to service us, Filipinos, better.

But, we cannot live by these thoughts alone. There is still this 67% of our salary that we can use into proper use – for ourselves, our families and hopefully, in service of others. The 33% belongs to “Ceasar”, and how the government will use that, they would be accountable to God in the end. The 67% does not belong to us. It belongs to God. How we are going to use them, we would be accountable also to God in the end.

With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the Church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love. Piety is the gift whereby, at the Holy Spirit's instigation, we pay worship and duty to God as our Father. Let us use everything that we have for His glory.

You and I are the things of God. By His grace, mercy, and love, we bear the image and the inscription of God. Therefore, when Jesus says to render unto God the things of God, He is talking to all of us, He is talking about us. He is talking about how we can be big in His eyes, forever trusting in Him and giving Him all the glory, honor and praise He truly deserves.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on Your powerful name. I will pay my vows to the You in the presence of all Your people, for we all belong to You and You alone.

Amen +

The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord.