Catholic Homily: Living in the World but Not of It
Readings and Virtual Homily for October 18, 2026, Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time; "I'm Fine, Just Pray for my Knees"
Readings for Mass this Sunday:
Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
Psalm 96:1, 3-5, 7-10
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5
Matthew 22:15-21
Dear Family and Friends,
Today's first reading from Isaiah speaks of Cyrus, the Medo-Persian Emperor who overthrew Babylon and freed the Jews who had been deported there after Babylon overran Jerusalem in 587 BC. It was the year 539 that Cyrus defeated Babylon and told the myriad Jews living there to return to Jerusalem, rebuild their temple and worship their God. Cyrus is a fascinating character and I would like to say more here about him, but in fact this passage from Isaiah serves largely to introduce the Gospel, which also pertains to a pagan (in this case, Roman) emperor and the worship due to God. So then, to the Gospel passage.
Of the various encounters Jesus had with the religious leadership of his day, today's Gospel account may be my favorite. The Pharisees ask Jesus if it is right to pay Roman taxes. They are hoping to use his answer to accuse him either of supporting Rome and thereby abandoning Israel, or of fomenting rebellion against Rome, which they could then take to Pilate, asking that Jesus be charged.
I love the way Jesus just turns their question back on them. He not only neatly avoids the trap they are trying to set for him, he gives them sound advice for living as a child of God in a fallen world. We may not agree with everything the federal government uses our tax dollars for, but we are, as citizens of the country, responsible for paying our taxes. There are avenues available for us to express our dissent, short of withholding payment of taxes.
Jesus' answer is pragmatic and realistic. It is also deeply insightful. Jesus' real point, which the leaders likely missed, is that we need to render unto God what is God's. We live in the real world; the real world is fallen. We deal with this reality in countless ways every week. But though we Christian disciples are in the world, we are not supposed to be of it.
Jesus identifies the Roman coin as Caesar's because it bears Caesar's image, Caesar's likeness (vss. 20-21). All humanity is created in "the image and likeness of God" (Gen. 1:26) and, in a fallen world, it is especially incumbent upon followers of Christ that that image, that likeness be the one shown to the world. Being in the world but not of it means living within the parameters of civil society while adhering to another, a higher, an eternal set of values that transcends anything of the world. In living out a life formed by Gospel values, the disciple bears witness to hope, to meaning, to a world beyond the one we know with our senses. In so reflecting the image and likeness of God, the disciple draws others to the God in whose image and likeness they themselves have been made.
The Second Vatican Council addresses this business in urging the laity to understand that their mission is to bear witness to the world; to evangelize the world, starting in the workplace, starting with our neighbor. The disciple renders unto God by reflecting God's love to any who come across his/her path on any given day. In so doing, the follower of Christ attracts to their Creator other human beings, who, bearing that same image and likeness, are in fact going to find a resonance with it. This is the great work of the Catholic laity, according to the Council; the evangelization and conversion of the world.
It is just past two weeks since I slipped on the rectory stairs and landed in a bed at Washington Hospital. (I am writing this on Wednesday.) I am deep in rehab mode, at this point, with my wounded knees. Have gone from exercises that can be done in bed and/or sitting up, to ones that require standing-in-place with the walker. Most of these I cannot do yet. My knees are still too stiff from the swelling.
The swelling did, however, finally begin to abate, at the end of last week. From resembling minor moons of Jupiter, the first ten days or so after the accident, my knees now are more about the size (and to some extent the shape) of an orange. They are still swollen and stiff, but the inflammation came down something like 70% in just a few days, from last Friday to now.
And the agent responsible for this happy development has nothing to do with western medicine. All the icing, elevating, exercising, resting, taking of prescription ibuprofen three times a day and so on achieved virtually no visible results through late last week. A good friend and major ministry leader here in the parish, Mari, came to see me mid-week, last week. As it happened, Mari had also at one time blown out one of her knees the same way I blew out mine. (Mari was a bit more prudent with the business; she only blew out one knee in her accident, not both together. But you know me: Go Big or Go Home.)
Mari's injury to her knee was identical to mine. That is, nothing broken or torn, just huge inflammation, and the resultant immobility. Mari told me how she brought down the swelling in her knee by more than 50% in 48 hours. I am not going to go into details, but it is an indigenous Mexican plant-based remedy. I had its main ingredient readily available here in a care package Lisa Fisher had brought me (Lisa, as I think most of you know, is a nurse).
Desperate to reduce the swelling, I followed Mari's directions and -- 48 hours later my knees were down 40-50%. Another application of the remedy and they were down by half again, within 48 hours. They are still swollen, so in terms of prayer focus, there's a good recommendation, if you would like one. Pray for the inflammation to go away completely. But though there is still swelling, and my knees are still stiff, there is greater range of movement, and I am regaining steadiness, with them, when on my feet.
I am finding that at this point it is easiest for me to answer the question "How are you?" by saying, "I am fine. Please pray for my knees." Because that really is true. I feel fine. I am getting things done. I am taking advantage of all this unexpected downtime to pray -- a lot. I like that. I am not going stir-crazy, even though I am confined to my rooms -- and really, mostly to my bed -- here in the rectory. I get in seventy to eighty minutes of PT exercises daily (more would be ill-advised), I have a lot of folks checking in with me throughout the day; in person, via text and over the phone. I live with two other priests and the household staff is here during the days; I do not know if I have been alone here in the rectory since I returned from the hospital. I have experienced pain the past fortnight only when forced to move my knees in ways they do not want to be moved -- that is, a couple of the PT exercises do hurt. Otherwise, and it has been like this from the night of the accident, I am in zero pain.
So, as I say, I am fine. Pray for my knees.
Foremost at the moment, just keep praying for the inflammation to disappear. Rehab will continue, of course, as my knees are going to need to regain strength and flexibility. But the healing process will be in a new phase, once the swelling is gone. And because nothing was broken, fractured, torn, dislocated, etc., because this is all "just" soft-tissue injury, it is not as though we are all going to be holding our breath hoping the bone knits properly or the tendon re-attaches, or whatever. As I think I said, last e-mail, this could have been so much worse. A full recovery is pretty much assured, provided I remain patient, and follow the protocols. I am not generally known for playing it safe, but this is one time when safety -- the protection and support of my knees -- is my top priority.
I'll close just by reiterating that the parish staff is taking very good care of me; my Bay Area family, too, of course. My colleagues at the high school, aware now that this is a long-term absence, have jumped into action, looking out for my classes, making sure my students stay on track with those of the other sophomore religion teachers. I am in regular touch with my students and colleagues both. I am working on my latest book. And, as mentioned, I am praying the way I used to do in seminary. Two-three hours/day. That's the brightest silver lining in all of this. Priests are supposed to be men of prayer, after all.
I do take this as just 100% from God. He wants my attention right now, and -- well, this certainly was one way to get it. I think I am being invited to consider a reset -- don't ask me. I will know more as the quiet days ahead progress, and the Spirit finds me, I hope, attentive and listening. That is why I am referring to this bizarre accident as a "wake-up fall." I think it has to do with setting priorities -- God's priorities -- for the next ten years.
So, while praying for my physical well-being, I want to ask you to please include as well a prayer for my spiritual availability, and attentiveness, to the Lord. This is a unique opportunity to "be still and know" that God is God. Please pray that I let the Lord make the most of it.
Take care. God bless. Thanks for all the loving messages and especially for the prayer.
Love,
Fr. Brawn