29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (October 22, 2023)

Is 45.1, 4-6; 1 Thess 1.1-5ab; Mt 22.15-21

• Interestingly, the First Reading is the only passage in the Old Testament that refers to a Gentile ruler as the Lord’s “anointed”. Unbeknownst to him, King Cyrus the Great, ruler of the mighty Persian Empire, was called by the Lord even before he knew the Lord.

• The Prophet, Isaiah, saw Cyrus as a hopeful sign, for the king had defeated the Babylonia (who had taken the Israelites into captivity), and had decreed that these exiles may return home.

• The pro-life coalition is a broad one, made up of people with diverse backgrounds, ideologies, and worldviews. Indeed, some may even be atheists or advance other views which are opposed to Christianity. Nevertheless, on this great cause of social justice, we are all united.

• Just as the Lord worked through the Gentile, King Cyrus, to bring wholeness to his people, we must remember that the Lord not only works through all people, but also takes a personal interest in knowing them. Let us pray that those collaborators of the culture of life may be drawn closer to the Lord and the fullness of the faith.

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 ...