The Feast of St Justin Martyr.

"Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God’. This reply took them completely by surprise." (Mark 12: 17 JB).

Tuesday 1st June 2021, in the 9th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Justin Martyr (+ 165). Born in Samaria in Palestine. An eminent philosopher and the first apologist in the Church. He defended the Christian faith in his writings in Rome where he established a school of public debate. St Justin was beheaded under Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Justin is the patron saint of apologists, philosophers, teachers and speakers.

Just as the Roman philosophers tested the philosophical and rhetorical skills of St Justin Martyr, so did the Pharisees and Herodians did to Jesus in the Gospel of today.
"Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?” (Mark 12: 14).

After examining the coinage in use for transactions in Israel, the Pharisees and Herodians were caught in their own trap when Jesus asked them: "Whose image and inscription is this?” They replied him, “Caesar’s.”

"Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God’. This reply took them completely by surprise."

Caesar has a right to his taxes because he got his power from God. Do not deny God what rightly belongs to God, viz: Sunday worship, keeping His commandments, knowing, loving and serving Him.  Jesus  "reply took them completely by surprise."

Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirst.blogspot.com