Today's Gospel presents Jesus with a question intended to trap Him: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? The question is not asked with sincere hearts seeking wisdom. It is designed to force Jesus into a position where His answer can be used against Him. Jesus asks for a coin and then asks whose image and inscription it carries. They answer, "Caesar's."

Jesus responds: "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." At first, this may sound like a simple lesson about taxes and civic responsibilities. But Jesus is taking us much deeper. The coin bears Caesar's image. But what bears the image of God? In the creation account, human beings are made in the image and likeness of God. This means that our lives, our dignity and our deepest allegiance belong to the One who created us. The question, therefore, is not only what we owe to society. It is also what we owe to God. We may give God an hour on Sunday but give the rest of our lives to pride, dishonesty, resentment and selfish ambition. We may offer money in church but refuse to offer forgiveness at home. We may sing beautifully during worship but speak cruelly to someone who cannot benefit us. We may publicly profess our faith while privately making decisions that contradict the Gospel. Jesus invites us to examine the whole of our lives.

What belongs to God in me that I am still withholding from Him? Perhaps it is your time. Perhaps it is your gifts. Perhaps it is your plans for the future. Perhaps it is a relationship you are afraid to surrender to His wisdom. Perhaps it is the forgiveness you know you need to offer. Giving to God what belongs to Him means allowing Him to be Lord not only of our prayers but also of our choices, relationships, ambitions and character.

The first reading reminds us that God is sovereign even over people who do not fully know Him. He can work through unexpected people and circumstances to accomplish His purposes. This should make us humble. We must never assume that we understand every way God is working. Nor should we imagine that God belongs exclusively to our group, our background or our preferred way of doing things. The second reading praises the faith, love and hope of the Thessalonians. Their faith was not merely an idea they accepted. It became visible in their lives. That is the challenge of World Mission Sunday. Mission is not only for priests, religious sisters, missionaries who travel abroad or people who stand behind a pulpit. Every baptised Christian is called to witness to Christ according to their vocation and circumstances. Your mission may begin in your home, your workplace, your parish, your neighbourhood or the way you treat someone who is struggling. You may not preach to a crowd, but your kindness may help someone believe that God has not abandoned them.

You may not travel to another country, but your integrity may become a witness to Christ in your community. You may not have many resources, but you can offer your time, your prayers, your gifts and your willingness to serve.

Mission is not simply about telling people that God exists. It is about helping them encounter the love, truth and mercy of Jesus Christ.

Today, let us ask ourselves three questions:

We belong to God. Our talents belong to God. Our opportunities belong to God. Even the ordinary moments of our lives can become offerings when they are lived in love. Let us fulfil our responsibilities in society with honesty and respect. But let us never give the world what belongs to God: the worship, trust and deepest allegiance of our hearts. And let us never forget that the mission of the Church is not to make our names famous. It is to make Christ known.

May our faith become visible, our love become practical, and our hope become contagious.