We human beings belong together in very varied and complex networks of relationships. We belong to God, to our families, to our communities, to our civic societies, and to any number of personal and specialist groupings of friendship, interest, concern, activities of all kinds. Often enough there will be, or seem to be, conflicts or contradictions between what we owe to one or other of these. And sometimes it may be difficult to discern where duty or obligation lies. In the Gospel incident of today's reading, the situation is quite different. As Jesus noted, there was malice in the seemingly innocent question about duty that He was asked: His questioners were not looking for truth, enlightenment or advice, but to trap Him into either a political or religious controversy.

His famous answer avoided the trap and has become the best-known Christian statement of our duties towards human authorities and towards God. ('To Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's). A Christian is not someone who opts out of human society, and the Christian community of the Church is very much in, involved in, and part of our modern world. How does my relationship with God fit together with my relationship with my sisters and brothers in the ordinary life of the society I live in?