The Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity AD 2024

In a few days, the President of the United States will be elected. This is one of those moments when the citizens of this country must “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,” that is, to fulfill their duty to do their part for the good of our country and its people.

When choosing a president, one should not think about who I personally like more but ask who among all the possible candidates is willing to truly commit to standing at the service of the people and working not for personal ambitions, but for truth, justice, peace and prosperity. Who among them is willing to do not just what is personally beneficial to them, nor just what they must do, but to do more, even if it requires serious effort and sometimes even trust to step into the unknown.

Our true citizenship is in heaven, says St. Paul in today’s Epistle. This doesn’t mean that we should not care about the earthly state, but rather the opposite: even when building our earthly state, we must keep in mind the example of the heavenly kingdom. No, we cannot bring the kingdom of heaven to earth – but we can live in earthly society as citizens of heaven. We can live in truth and righteousness, rendering unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and at the same time rendering unto God the things that are His.

This is exactly what the President whom the American people will elect in a few days should do: follow and do the will of God, resist injustice and work for justice, and do everything in his power to make this nation live a virtuous, godly, and holy life – not just as citizens of an earthly state, but as citizens of heaven.