November 6
Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intention
9:00 AM – Intentions of Parish Rosary Group / Margaret Ingraham
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Readings
First Reading
Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27
Brothers and sisters: Greet Prisca and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I am grateful but also all the churches of the Gentiles; greet also the Church at their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the firstfruits in Asia for Christ. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners; they are prominent among the Apostles and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
I, Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole Church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus greet you.
Now to him who can strengthen you, according to my Gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith, to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 145:2-3, 4-5, 10-11
R. (1b) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Gospel Acclamation
2 Corinthians 8:9
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 16:9-15
Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and sneered at him. And he said to them, “You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.”
“I will praise your name for ever, Lord.”
Reflection
Today Jesus is continuing his lesson from yesterday’s gospel. We recall that the dishonest steward has impressed his boss by his thinking outside the box when he gives out some much lower prices on his boss’s goods. While you might think the boss would be angry, he seems to be impressed by the creativity that the steward has shown. Jesus seems to be even more impressed because of what he terms “making friends with dishonest wealth.”
Jesus wants all of us to remember that wealth is only transitory. We get money, and then we send the money to someone else so we can acquire the things we need like food, clothing and a roof over our heads. What Jesus wants us to do is to think about what we use our money for. If we spend our money on wasteful things that we will only throw out in a short while, then we will be the losers because the things of heaven are eternal and indestructible. The things of heaven are the “true wealth” that Jesus says we should be trustworthy with.
The two masters Jesus talks about are the worldly things we all look at and want to acquire, and the eternal things of heaven. Jesus tells us that we will love the one but hate the other. How many times have we spent our money on something that we thought would bring us joy and happiness only to realize that it was just junk. Our desires are often for things we really don’t want and when we think deeply about them in the light of our faith, we might think about other things. God or Mammon: which of these do we want to spend our money on?
Stay strong,
Deacon Dare
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