29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (October 18, 2020)

Today we hear that God knew us even before we knew Him; He has a relationship with us even though we may be unaware of it. St. John Paul II reminds us that “We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father’s love for us and our real capacity to become the image of His Son.”
This is an important message for us today. Our society tells us that we are valuable insofar as we are useful or productive. Yet the truth is that we are intrinsically valuable because we are children of God. For this reason the life of an unborn child, of a suffering senior, or that of a person with a disability is just as valuable as that of a “productive” member of society.
The Lord Himself has made us and we belong to Him. So, in the Gospel when Jesus tells us to give to God what is God’s, we must be sure that our own lives are also His. We cannot allow any other authority to claim power over the gift of life. God alone has the authority to give and take life.
Pro-Life Intercession: That God’s people may be active in carrying out their civic responsibilities, and may choose leaders who will build a society that respects all human life, we pray to the Lord...