This is World Mission Sunday. Catholic and mission go together, since we are commissioned to go forth to all the world. Our prayer by nature is Catholic, that is to say, all-embracing. We live for the Kingdom and the salvation of all. Our prayers are plural and exclude none.

And it begins in the heart, the center of love. For heart follows head, love follows knowledge, and leads to action in the service of the Cross. You are a Catholic in contradiction if you do not live for all. The role you do is in the Providence of God.

And the mode, the manner, the way is peace. When Christ speaks of bringing the sword, of not coming for peace, He speaks of the spiritual war against the power of darkness and evil, the fight that continues to the end. But the weapons are prayer and goodness, non-violence, justice and mercy.

The Pharisees of Christ's day seemed to have caught the messianic fervor that was in the air at the time, an expectancy that led them to fashion the One who was to come according to their own designs. And high on the list of the messianic agenda would be a free Israel, rid forever of the hated occupying Romans. But with Christ their misgivings were early and evident.

In today's piece from the Gospel, they approach the Lord. Aware of their own ambivalence toward Him, they felt a need to reassure Him of their awareness of His great qualities. "You are a truthful Man. You teach God's way. Sincerely, you court no favor. You do not act from human respect." This is practically insulting and grossly arrogant. One wonders that Christ did not cut them short as He did others.

They want to know how serious He is about an Israel free of foreign domination in accord with God's designs. So they put a practical question: "Should we pay taxes to the foreigners?"

"Show Me the tax money." They had some. "And whose the head?" "And whose the text?" He gives an answer to them that answers nothing. Everything is God's. They know that. Nothing is the emperor's. They know that too.

But they got the message. He's not interested. Political freedom is not on His list. He did not come for that. He came for freedom, but not that kind. His rebellion is spiritual. He wages peace.

They were afraid of just that. And left.

This is not late in the Gospels, but early, because late it would be clear: no need to ask. So Christ knew early what He was about.

In the refectory we have just finished reading the biography of Robert E. Lee. For all his family, his West Point, his military service, he betrayed his country, was guilty of treason. With ease. Without great anguish or anxiety. He led the rebellion into our country's most tragic war. Americans shooting Americans. He never regretted it. Never repented of it. Thought it worthy to the end. Gentleman he was, but he was not a man of principle.

Robert MacNamara was a major factor in a Vietnam conflict that has been rated a monstrous disaster. Late, he too came to see that. And too late though it was, much too late, came to regret it all. Repent of it. Publicly. There is principle at work here.

Christ was clear from the outset on goals and the means to them. Violence was out. So was political victory. He preached a gospel of peace, of an inner renewal, rebirth, of union with God in grace. Of prayer and sacrament, mercy, compassion, the works of justice and peace. The building of the Kingdom. On principle.

That is the message and this is the work. He lay down His life for it. We are expected to live for it, possibly die for it.

We live in an age of violence. At least our age is as violent as any. It is not merely disease and obsession. It is evil, diabolical. The relation of sickness and moral sickness to the Evil One is ancient and scriptural. We are not unaware of the connection.

So be your world large or small, claustral and little more, or global in scope, let it be a Christian world founded on principle: Christ and Christ's peace. "Let God untie the snares of anger and desire" [Merton] in your heart. We all preach a gospel, all the time.

We send out a message. We bear witness of one kind or other. Let it be a message worthy of you, worthy of a Christian.

We repeat with Christ:  give Caesar what is his. But to God what is God's. God comes first. And Caesar is God's too.    Amen.