A king who gives everything to his people, and an emperor who keeps everything for himself. This Sunday's readings place these two rulers side by side—and then ask us where our true loyalty lies.
In this episode of Know Before You Go, Father Jim Marchionda, O.P., of St. Pius V Priory in Chicago, walks us through the readings for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Isaiah's surprising portrait of King Cyrus of Persia, a non-Jew chosen by God to restore Israel; Jesus' famous reply to the Pharisees, "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God"; and St. Paul's encouragement to the Thessalonians to be remembered for their "work of faith, labor of love, and endurance in hope."
Fr. Jim reminds us that these readings are not really about kings and emperors at all—they are about us, and about giving to God what belongs to God.
**This Sunday's Readings:**
- First Reading: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
- Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b
- Gospel: Matthew 22:15-21
**In this video:**
- 00:00 Welcome to Know Before You Go
- 00:36 Two rulers: a king and an emperor
- 01:02 First Reading – Isaiah and King Cyrus of Persia
- 01:32 God thinks "outside the box"
- 02:07 Gospel of Matthew – Caesar, the occupier
- 02:39 The Pharisees try to trap Jesus
- 03:09 "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar…"
- 03:41 God's concern for the vulnerable; loyalty to God first
- 04:12 Second Reading – St. Paul's "work of faith and labor of love"
- 05:03 These readings are really about us
- 05:39 Closing blessing
**About the Series:**
Know Before You Go is a program of the Dominican Friars, Province of St. Albert the Great, offering a brief look ahead at the Scripture readings for each Sunday's liturgy so you can arrive at Mass prepared to listen, pray, and reflect.
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