Podcast: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Hi and welcome to the Modern Psalmist Podcast for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. I’m Rebecca De La Torre.

Our readings today remind us to recognize and honor God’s authority and wisdom while facing life’s challenges, and to rely on him to deliver us from harm or evil.

As always, we begin with the Entrance Antiphon for today, which is taken from Psalm chapter 17, verses 6 & 8. This same reliance on God to guard and protect us, expressed here in the Entrance Antiphon, will be demonstrated later in the Gospel reading and communion antiphon.

“To you I call; for you will surely heed me, O God;
turn your ear to me; hear my words.
Guard me as the apple of your eye;
in the shadow of your wings protect me.”

The psalm for this Sunday is from chapter 96. The response is taken from verse 7:

“Give the Lord glory and honor.”

As an aside – I composed this music three years ago on my little Venezuelan Cuatro guitar because my daughter (who was 4 months old at the time) was being fussy, and music seemed to really soother her. Even today as a three year old, she loves when I play the cuatro or the piano for her. It calms her down right away!

In an effort to soothe and entertain my baby girl *and* compose a new psalm at the same time, I just started to sing the words of this psalm while I played around with an afro-cuban chord progression and rhythm – it turned into a satisfyingly meditative piece that fit well with the verbatim lyrics in both English and Spanish. The simplicity of this melody lets me really put expression into the words as I sing and pray them.

Here is my version of “Psalm 96: Give the Lord Glory and Honor.”

The gospel reading today so fantastically demonstrates our God’s infinite wisdom. Taken from Matthew 22:15-21, the Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus by either getting him to say that paying the Roman taxes is acceptable (in which case the people might revolt against him because they were already so oppressed by the Romans that it was a sore subject), or by saying that Jews don’t have to pay taxes. In which case, he could be arrested by the Romans for such claims.

Just FYI – ‘freedom of speech’ that so many of us take from granted today did *not* exist back then. You could easily be jailed and/or killed for expressing an opinion contrary to that of the government or other authorities.

So these Pharisees, bringing the Herodians along, ask Jesus directly, starting with verse 17:

“Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?”
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
“Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax.”
Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?”
They replied, “Caesar’s.”
At that he said to them,
“Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God.” ”

The final verse 22 isn’t included in the gospel reading at mass, but it concludes with:

“When they heard this they were amazed, and leaving him they went away.”

And of course they were amazed and went away! Who can even respond to that? Jesus’ response is the cleverest and simultaneously the wisest response possible.

I believe that Jesus is also demonstrating to us how the Holy Spirit will give US wisdom when we ask for it. The Holy Spirit is the third part of the trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We need to continually remain in communion with God, so that we can call on his Spirit for wisdom in any time of trouble.

The communion antiphon encourages us in this same way – to hope in the Lord and rely on him to rescue us and preserve us.

Taken from Psalm 33:18-19, we sing:

“Behold, the eyes of the Lord
are on those who fear him,
who hope in his merciful love,
to rescue their souls from death,
to keep them alive in famine.”

Another song I composed several years ago, in addition to the psalm for today, is titled “The Most Holy God”. I believe it’s a good fit for this Sunday, as it communicates the same message as the Psalm and 1st Reading.

The first reading from Isaiah chapter 45, verses 5 and 6, states:

“I am the LORD and there is no other,
there is no God besides me.
It is I who arm you, though you know me not,
so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun
people may know that there is none besides me.
I am the LORD, there is no other.”

The Lord repeats three times in these verses that “there is no other” like him. And that in itself *is* the definition of holy. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines holy as

exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness

The psalm itself for today states in its verses:

“For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
awesome is he, beyond all gods.”

My song, “The Most Holy God” reflects on the awesomeness, holiness and utter uniqueness of our God in a chorus of praise.

Here is my piano and vocal acoustic version of “The Most Holy God”:

I hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of The Modern Psalmist Podcast for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time, year A. Be sure to subscribe to be notified of the next episode of original Catholic music and psalms.

Until next week, may God bless you abundantly!