Msgr. Pope on Gospel Story of the Temple Tax

"Recently I was talking to a group of young adult Catholics and mentioned a gospel passage that they said they had never heard. It is the Gospel of the Temple Tax and how Jesus told Peter to go catch a fish and, in its mouth will be a coin that will pay the Temple Tax for Jesus and Peter. In a certain sense it is one of the more charming gospel passages and kind of 'cool.' It shows Jesus' sovereignty over creation and the rather interesting twist of finding money in the mouth of a certain fish from a large large of likely millions of fish. In the Holy Land today, when you have a meal near the Sea of Galilee, many of the restaurants serve 'Peter's Fish' that is served with a coin in its mouth."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on this Gospel story in which a quiet miracle affirms "Peter's faith in Jesus' divinity and Sonship without confronting others who were not yet ready to hear or believe this."

To access Msgr. Pope's complete posts, please visit:

Community in Mission: Of a Lesser-Known Gospel Story that is Pretty "Cool" (26 OCT 22)