The Gospel is the story of the temple tax collectors asking Peter if Jesus paid. Father explained that earlier in Jewish history, the Jews paid as much as one third of their income to the temple. They were happy to do so. The temple tax was a significant form of prayer. However, when the Romans came, the temple tax wasn't all for the temple. After the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem, the Romans actually still collected the temple tax and gave it to their pagan god, Jupiter.
The point of the story is not about giving money. It's about God providing. The fish had enough coins in its mouth to pay for two temple taxes.
Monseigneur Moran always gives a culturally, historical, homily. No wonder people take notes.
