Memorial of Saint Dominic, Priest

When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes,” he said.  When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?” When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt. But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up.  Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.”

When our faith is challenged in some way, we should do exactly what Peter did. We should go to Jesus and seek to understand what we should do and why we should do it. Whether it is paying a tax or choosing between right and wrong, we should always turn to Jesus first. By making this a habit, we shall grow in our faith and trust in God. He will provide us with everything we need to overcome the obstacles in our lives if we will believe in his Divine Providence. Then, like Peter, we shall obtain what we seek and fulfill God’s Will in everything we do.

What is our response to having our faith challenged? How can we give others an example of trust in God? What can we do to give thanks to God for all He has done for us?

O Lord, we trust that you will provide us with all that we need.

Amen.