October 18, 2026 Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Gospel: Mt 22:15-21
Today is the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The passage from the Gospel of Saint Matthew tells us about the dialogue between the disciples of the Pharisees and the disciples of the Herodians with Jesus.
We know that in the time of Jesus, the Pharisees were the “Rabbis” of the Israelites, teaching the people by way of parables. When interpreting the Law, they included the precepts of the ancestors and customs, that is, what they called the traditions of the ancestors—following the logic of this world. This logic told them: if they gave something to others, they must receive in return something equivalent to what they had given. Therefore, they only invited those who seemed to be close relatives to share lunch and dinner with them. The scribes were some kind of biblical scholars. Like the Pharisees, they interpreted Scripture as they pleased, considering themselves as the mouthpiece of God, and regarded themselves as righteous and most holy. The Herodians were an emerging heresy, claiming that Herod was the Christ, and that the Kingdom of Judah had already perished.
Today, the disciples of these two factions came together to trap this Teacher from Galilee. We often, in our lives, act like those Pharisees who designed to ensnare Jesus in His words (cf. Mt 22:15-17), making human rules according to our own will, or to satisfy our personal interests, and intending to impose these rules upon God who created us with His abundant love. For in our eyes, we seem to be more learned than God, and even surpass Him in some respects. At times, we even think that those brothers and sisters who are sent by God to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom before us seem to speak of a God according to their own understanding of the divine will, rather than God speaking to us through His Church built upon Saint Peter (cf. Mt 16:18), continuing to reveal to us the truth about the Kingdom.
In fact, living in this changing world, we are often tempted by the enemy—the devil—just as Saint Peter taught: “Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, prowls around seeking someone to devour; you should resist him with firm faith, and should know that your brothers in the world are suffering the same hardships.” (cf. 1 Pt 5:8-9) If we continue to follow our own selfish desires and passions and obey the guidance of the flesh in our lives, we still live under the dominion of death. Thus, although our bodies have received the Baptism of Christ and belong to Christ, our souls still remain under the dominion of sin and death, still living in darkness. But if we rely on the Holy Spirit of God to mortify the rash impulses of the flesh, we shall live forever.
Almighty ever-living God, grant that we may always conform our will to yours and serve your majesty in sincerity of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
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