Matthew 17:22-27

Let us remember that we are in the most holy presence of God.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen.

“Not to give offense”
Matthew 17:22-27
As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed. When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel tax went up to Peter and said, “Does not your teacher pay the tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from others?” And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel; take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

Reflection
Who likes to pay taxes, especially when you think they might be unreasonable or unjust?
Jesus and his disciples were confronted by tax collectors on the issue of tax evasion. When questioned about paying the temple tax, Jesus replied to his disciples: We must pay so as not to cause bad example. In fact, we must go beyond our duty in order that we may show others what they ought to do. The scriptural expression to give no offense doesn't refer to insult or annoyance – rather it means to put no stumbling block in the way of another that would cause them to trip or fall. Jesus would not allow himself anything which might possibly be a bad example to someone else. Do you evade unpleasant responsibilities or obligations?

Lasallian Guiding Principles
LGP states that the spirit of faith involves always trusting God,. And I can do it because the Lord is always there, in my inner being. Therefore De La Salle always insisted on the presence of God and I can do this, because the Lord is not only there, but he also leads me in my own history and in the history of human kind.

COMMITMENT PRAYER
Lord Jesus,
You love us all and make us your brothers and sisters.
You call us to follow you.
You invite us to announce the Good News.
Lord, grant us the courage to live our commitment.
Teach us to go beyond our borders.
Teach us to discover you in the lowliest
Teach us to see with the eyes of faith
Teach us to share our mission with all Lasallians
Throughout the whole world.
We make this prayer through the intercession of Mary,
Queen and Mother of the Christian Schools,
And through the intercession of St. John Baptist de la Salle,patron of teachers. Amen.
St. John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us.
St. Miguel Febres Cordero, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever!
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Week 1 : We recognize the uniqueness of each person in manners and in words
Week 2; While we uphold transparency, we safeguard confidentiality
Week 3: We uphold the principle of common good.
Week 4: We strictly adhere to ethical standards in the conduct of duties.
Week 5: We uphold and protect human life.

Sources:
C. (n.d.). Daily Gospel. Retrieved May 22, 2019, from https://dailygospel.org/M/AM/
DLSU ITS, DLSU STRATCOM, DLSU IRPA. (n.d.). Guiding Principles of the Philippine Lasallian Family.
Retrieved May 22, 2019, from http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/inside/lasallian-guiding-principles/default.asp.

Prepared by : Sofia S. Ferre