Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 489
Lectionary: 489
Join with others in
being imitators of me, brothers and sisters,
and observe those who thus conduct themselves
according to the model you have in us.
For many, as I have often told you
and now tell you even in tears,
conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction.
Their God is their stomach;
their glory is in their “shame.”
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified Body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.
and observe those who thus conduct themselves
according to the model you have in us.
For many, as I have often told you
and now tell you even in tears,
conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction.
Their God is their stomach;
their glory is in their “shame.”
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified Body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.
Responsorial Psalm PS 122:1-2, 3-4AB, 4CD-5
R. (1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the
Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Gospel LK 16:1-8
Jesus said to his
disciples, “A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said,
‘What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.’
The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do,
now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.’
He called in his master’s debtors one by one.
To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’
Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.’
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than the children of light.”
who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said,
‘What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.’
The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do,
now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.’
He called in his master’s debtors one by one.
To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’
Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.’
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than the children of light.”
Meditation: The
necessity of prudent foresight
Do you make good use
of your money and possessions? Jesus seemed to praise a steward (a manager
entrusted with his master's goods) who misused his employer's money. What did
the steward do that made Jesus praise him? The steward was responsible for
managing his wealthy landowner's property. The steward very likely overcharged
his master's tenants for their use of the land and kept more than his fair
share of the profit. When the landowner discovered the steward's dishonest
practice he immediately removed him from his job, leaving him penniless and
ashamed to beg or do manual work.
The necessity of
prudent foresight to avert disaster
Before news of his dismissal became public knowledge, the shrewd steward struck a deal with his master's debtors. In discounting their debts he probably was giving up his generous commission. Such a deal won him great favor with the debtors. Since the steward acted as the landowner's agent, such a deal made his master look very generous and forgiving towards those who owned him money. Surely everyone would praise such a generous landowner as the town hero! Since the master could not undo the steward's cancellation of the debts without losing face and making his debtors resent him, he praised the steward for outwitting him and making him appear as a generous and merciful landowner.
Before news of his dismissal became public knowledge, the shrewd steward struck a deal with his master's debtors. In discounting their debts he probably was giving up his generous commission. Such a deal won him great favor with the debtors. Since the steward acted as the landowner's agent, such a deal made his master look very generous and forgiving towards those who owned him money. Surely everyone would praise such a generous landowner as the town hero! Since the master could not undo the steward's cancellation of the debts without losing face and making his debtors resent him, he praised the steward for outwitting him and making him appear as a generous and merciful landowner.
Jesus obviously
thought that the example of a very clever steward would be a perfect
illustration for a spiritual lesson about God and how God treats those who
belong to his kingdom. What's the point of Jesus' parable? The dishonest
steward is commended not for mishandling his master's wealth, but for his
shrewd provision in averting personal disaster and in securing his future
livelihood. The original meaning of "shrewdness" is
"foresight". A shrewd person grasps a critical situation with
resolution, foresight, and the determination to avoid serious loss or disaster.
Faith and
prudent foresight can save us from moral and spiritual disaster
Jesus is concerned here with something more critical than a financial or economic crisis. His concern is that we avert spiritual crisis and personal moral disaster through the exercise of faith and foresight. If Christians would only expend as much foresight and energy to spiritual matters, which have eternal consequences, as they do to earthly matters which have temporal consequences, then they would be truly better off, both in this life and in the age to come.
Jesus is concerned here with something more critical than a financial or economic crisis. His concern is that we avert spiritual crisis and personal moral disaster through the exercise of faith and foresight. If Christians would only expend as much foresight and energy to spiritual matters, which have eternal consequences, as they do to earthly matters which have temporal consequences, then they would be truly better off, both in this life and in the age to come.
God loves good
stewardship and generosity
Ambrose, a 4th century bishop said: The bosoms of the poor, the houses of widows, the mouths of children are the barns which last forever. True wealth consists not in what we keep but in what we give away. Possessions are a great responsibility. The Lord expects us to use them honestly and responsibly and to put them at his service and the service of others. We belong to God and all that we have is his as well. He expects us to make a good return on what he gives us.
Ambrose, a 4th century bishop said: The bosoms of the poor, the houses of widows, the mouths of children are the barns which last forever. True wealth consists not in what we keep but in what we give away. Possessions are a great responsibility. The Lord expects us to use them honestly and responsibly and to put them at his service and the service of others. We belong to God and all that we have is his as well. He expects us to make a good return on what he gives us.
God loves generosity
and he gives liberally to those who share his gifts with others. The Pharisees,
however, had little room for God or others in their hearts. The Gospel says
they were lovers of money (Luke 16:14). Love of money and wealth crowd out love
of God and love of neighbor. Jesus makes clear that our hearts must either be
possessed by God's love or our hearts will be possessed by the love of
something else. What do you most treasure in your heart?
"Lord Jesus, all
that I have is a gift from you. May I love you freely and generously with all
that I possess. Help me to be a wise and faithful steward of the resources you
put at my disposal, including the use of my time, money, and possessions."
 What Is This I Hear about You? |
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November 7, 2014.
Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
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Luke 16:1-8
Jesus said to his
disciples, "A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for
squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ´What is this I hear
about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no
longer be my steward.´ The steward said to himself, ´What shall I do, now
that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not
strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their
homes.´ He called in his master´s debtors one by one. To the first he said,
´How much do you owe my master?´ He replied, ´One hundred measures of olive
oil.´ He said to him, ´Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly
write one for fifty.´ Then to another he said, ´And you, how much do you
owe?´ He replied, ´One hundred measures of wheat.´ He said to him, ´Here is
your promissory note; write one for eighty.´ And the master commended that
dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this world are
more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of
light."
Introductory
Prayer: Jesus Christ, where
else can I turn each day but to you? One day, I will make that final turn to
you, and it will last for all eternity. Yet as in everything else, you set
the pace, you take the initiative, and you are the protagonist. You will turn
and look my way first and I, as I strive daily to do, will respond and gaze
back into your eyes. This moment of prayer is a rehearsal for that final turn
to you.
Petition: Lord, help me to respond better to your love.
1. What Is This?
“What is this I hear about you?” Of
course, this is just a parable. In actuality, God doesn´t need to
"hear" anything about us since he is all-knowing. Yet, he may very
well say to us, "What is this?" as he looks over the record of our
lives and reminds us that we are accountable for all our free actions. Let us
take a look, in our prayer now, at the face of this Father who asks,
"What is this?" Does it perhaps express concern over a wound in our
soul, over something that has marred the beauty of our image as sons and
daughters of this Father?
2. A Full
Account: Yes, we will have to
give that full account. The sacrament of reconciliation, prepared by thoughtful
and prayerful examinations of conscience, affords us the opportunities to
give that account, piece-by-piece, as a preparation for the final audit. What
a grace! Are we taking advantage of it?
3.
Squanderer: Could the Good Lord
accuse us of being squanderers? This isn´t the only place in the Gospels
where the word appears. Recall that the Prodigal Son was accused of
squandering his father´s wealth. Certainly to squander is to misuse, to use
unwisely, to waste, or to use extravagantly. What about all the graces that
God has given to us: our faith, our Catholic Church, the sacraments, the
scriptures, the example of the saints, the rich deposit of Catholic
tradition, the means that have been placed in our hands today, the time we
have been offered, the talents we have been given? Are we squanderers? How
can I respond better to the many gifts Our Lord has given me? How can I
better “invest” my talents for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven?
Conversation with
Christ: Lord Jesus Christ, awaken
me to your gifts and make me zealous and generous in using them for the good
of the brothers and sisters you have put at my side. Through my daily
examination of conscience, help me to be a good steward so that one day I may
arrive with you and enjoy you in paradise as my eternal reward.
Resolution: I will employ the time of my examination of conscience
today to thank God for all the graces and blessings he has bestowed upon me.
I will make a careful accounting of what God has placed in my hands.
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, LUKE 16:1-8
(Philippians 3:17--4:1; Psalm 122)
(Philippians 3:17--4:1; Psalm 122)
KEY VERSE: "For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light" (v 8).
READING: In the Parable of the Dishonest Steward, Jesus contrasted the apparent indifference of the children of the kingdom of God with worldly people who shrewdly planned for their future. In the story, a steward had mismanaged his master's funds and was faced with loss of employment. The steward was unused to physical labor and he was too proud to beg. So he devised a scheme whereby he cancelled his exorbitant commission thus reducing the amount owed by the debtors. Thus he ingratiated himself to both debtor and master. Jesus praised the enterprising steward for acting prudently. He was not encouraging dishonesty, but challenging his own disciples to be as resourceful in their pursuit of the kingdom as were those who acted without the light of the Holy Spirit to guide them.
REFLECTING: Am I honest in all my business dealings?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to use my resources for building your kingdom on earth.
Friday 7 November 2014
Day of penance.
Philippians 3:17—4:1. Let
us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord—Ps
121(122):1-5. Luke 16:1-8.
Our homeland is in heaven,
and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for.
Our moods and failings can
stifle hope. In some lives, hope is fragile, even dead—witness the suicide rate
for our young. Hope cannot be taken for granted; it needs continual repair.
‘Happiness for me is a continuing acceptance of what I should be about, that
this is really my journey, and if I am happy with myself, whatever I achieve is
for someone else’s judgement’ (interview with the late Archbishop Foley of
Perth).
Thank you, Lord, for
sustaining us through difficulties, and enable us, in turn, to instil hope
wherever worry or misery may have discouraged to the point of despair.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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Faith is Trusting
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Like Peter, we are being called out of the security of our worldly
boats into the waters of Jesus’s life. As we grow in discipleship, the Lord
will repeatedly call us to trust in his ability to handle every part of our
lives.
November
7
St. Didacus
(1400-1463)
St. Didacus
(1400-1463)
Didacus is living proof that God "chose what is foolish in
the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the
strong" (1 Corinthians 1:27).
As a
young man in Spain, Didacus joined the Secular Franciscan Order and lived for
some time as a hermit. After Didacus became a Franciscan brother, he developed
a reputation for great insight into God’s ways. His penances were heroic. He
was so generous with the poor that the friars sometimes grew uneasy about his
charity.
Didacus
volunteered for the missions in the Canary Islands and labored there
energetically and profitably. He was also the superior of a friary there.
In 1450
he was sent to Rome to attend the canonization of St. Bernardine of Siena. When
many friars gathered for that celebration fell sick, Didacus stayed in Rome for
three months to nurse them. After he returned to Spain, he pursued a life of
contemplation full-time. He showed the friars the wisdom of God’s ways.
As he was
dying, Didacus looked at a crucifix and said: "O faithful wood, O precious
nails! You have borne an exceedingly sweet burden, for you have been judged
worthy to bear the Lord and King of heaven" (Marion A. Habig, O.F.M., The
Franciscan Book of Saints, p. 834).
San
Diego, California, is named for this Franciscan, who was canonized in 1588.
Comment:
We cannot be neutral about genuinely holy people. We either admire them or we consider them foolish. Didacus is a saint because he used his life to serve God and God’s people. Can we say the same for ourselves?
We cannot be neutral about genuinely holy people. We either admire them or we consider them foolish. Didacus is a saint because he used his life to serve God and God’s people. Can we say the same for ourselves?
Quote:
"He was born in Spain with no outstanding reputation for learning but was like our first teachers and leaders unlettered as men count wisdom, an unschooled person, a humble lay brother in religious life. [God chose Didacus] to show in him the abundant riches of his grace to lead many on the way of salvation by the holiness of his life and by his example and to prove over and over to a weary old world almost decrepit with age that God's folly is wiser than men, and his weakness is more powerful than men" (Bull of Canonization).
"He was born in Spain with no outstanding reputation for learning but was like our first teachers and leaders unlettered as men count wisdom, an unschooled person, a humble lay brother in religious life. [God chose Didacus] to show in him the abundant riches of his grace to lead many on the way of salvation by the holiness of his life and by his example and to prove over and over to a weary old world almost decrepit with age that God's folly is wiser than men, and his weakness is more powerful than men" (Bull of Canonization).
LECTIO DIVINA:
LUKE 16,1-8
Lectio:
Friday, November 7, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God of power and mercy,
only with your help
can we offer you fitting service and praise.
May we live the faith we profess
and trust your promise of eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
only with your help
can we offer you fitting service and praise.
May we live the faith we profess
and trust your promise of eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Luke 16,1-8
Jesus said to his disciples, 'There was a rich man and he had a
steward who was denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He
called for the man and said, "What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an
account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any
longer."
Then the steward said to himself, "Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes."
'Then he called his master's debtors one by one. To the first he said, "How much do you owe my master?" "One hundred measures of oil," he said. The steward said, "Here, take your bond; sit down and quickly write fifty." To another he said, "And you, sir, how much do you owe?" "One hundred measures of wheat," he said. The steward said, "Here, take your bond and write eighty."
'The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.'
Then the steward said to himself, "Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes."
'Then he called his master's debtors one by one. To the first he said, "How much do you owe my master?" "One hundred measures of oil," he said. The steward said, "Here, take your bond; sit down and quickly write fifty." To another he said, "And you, sir, how much do you owe?" "One hundred measures of wheat," he said. The steward said, "Here, take your bond and write eighty."
'The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.'
3) Reflection
• Today the Gospel presents a parable that concerns
administration of goods which is found only in Luke’s Gospel. It is called The
Parable of the dishonest steward. It is a disconcerting parable. Luke says:
“The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness”. The master is
Jesus himself and not the administrator or steward. How is that Jesus praises a
corrupt employee?
• Luke 16, 1-2: The steward is threatened to lose his job. “There was a rich man and he had a steward, who was denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship, because you are not to be my steward any more”. This example taken from the world of business and of work speaks for itself. It refers to the existing corruption. The master discovers the corruption and decides to send away the dishonest steward. The steward, unexpectedly, finds himself in an emergency situation, obliged by the unforeseen circumstances to find a way out in order to be able to survive. When God becomes present in the life of a person, unexpectedly everything changes and the person finds himself/herself in an emergency situation. The person has to take a decision and find a way out.
• Luke 16, 3-4: What to do? Which is the way out? “Then the steward said to himself, Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed”. He begins to reflect to find a way out. He analyses, one by one, the possible alternatives: to dig or work the land in order to survive, he feels that he does not have the strength to do this, and to beg, he would feel ashamed. He analyses things, and calculates well the possible alternatives. “Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes”. It is a question of trying to guarantee his future. The steward is coherent with his way of thinking and living.
• Luke 16, 5-7: Execution of the solution he found. “Then he called his master’s debtors, one by one, and said to the first one: How much do you owe my master? One hundred measures of oil, he said. The steward said, ‘Here, take your bond, sit down and quickly write fifty. Then he said to another one, and you, sir, how much do you owe? ‘One hundred measures of wheat’, he answered. The steward said, ‘Here take your bond and write eighty”. In his total lack of ethics the steward was coherent. The criteria of his action are not honesty and justice, nor the good of the master on whom he depends to live and to survive, but it is his own interest. He wants to have the guarantee that there will be someone who will receive him in his house.
• Luke 16, 8: The Master praises the dishonest steward. And look this is the disconcerting conclusion: “The Master praises the dishonest steward for his astuteness: For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light”. The word Master or Lord indicates Jesus and not the rich man. The latter would never praise a dishonest employee working with him in the service and that now he robs even more, 50 measures of oil and 20 sacks of wheat! In the parable the one who extends the praise is Jesus. He certainly does not praise the theft, but the presence of spirit of the steward. He knew how to calculate things well and finds a way out, when unexpectedly he finds himself without a job. In this way the children of this world know how to be experts in their own things, and in the same way, the children of light should learn from them to be experts in the solution to their problems, using the criteria of the Kingdom and not the criteria of this world. “Be cunning as serpents and innocent as doves” (Mt 10, 16).
• Luke 16, 1-2: The steward is threatened to lose his job. “There was a rich man and he had a steward, who was denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship, because you are not to be my steward any more”. This example taken from the world of business and of work speaks for itself. It refers to the existing corruption. The master discovers the corruption and decides to send away the dishonest steward. The steward, unexpectedly, finds himself in an emergency situation, obliged by the unforeseen circumstances to find a way out in order to be able to survive. When God becomes present in the life of a person, unexpectedly everything changes and the person finds himself/herself in an emergency situation. The person has to take a decision and find a way out.
• Luke 16, 3-4: What to do? Which is the way out? “Then the steward said to himself, Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed”. He begins to reflect to find a way out. He analyses, one by one, the possible alternatives: to dig or work the land in order to survive, he feels that he does not have the strength to do this, and to beg, he would feel ashamed. He analyses things, and calculates well the possible alternatives. “Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes”. It is a question of trying to guarantee his future. The steward is coherent with his way of thinking and living.
• Luke 16, 5-7: Execution of the solution he found. “Then he called his master’s debtors, one by one, and said to the first one: How much do you owe my master? One hundred measures of oil, he said. The steward said, ‘Here, take your bond, sit down and quickly write fifty. Then he said to another one, and you, sir, how much do you owe? ‘One hundred measures of wheat’, he answered. The steward said, ‘Here take your bond and write eighty”. In his total lack of ethics the steward was coherent. The criteria of his action are not honesty and justice, nor the good of the master on whom he depends to live and to survive, but it is his own interest. He wants to have the guarantee that there will be someone who will receive him in his house.
• Luke 16, 8: The Master praises the dishonest steward. And look this is the disconcerting conclusion: “The Master praises the dishonest steward for his astuteness: For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light”. The word Master or Lord indicates Jesus and not the rich man. The latter would never praise a dishonest employee working with him in the service and that now he robs even more, 50 measures of oil and 20 sacks of wheat! In the parable the one who extends the praise is Jesus. He certainly does not praise the theft, but the presence of spirit of the steward. He knew how to calculate things well and finds a way out, when unexpectedly he finds himself without a job. In this way the children of this world know how to be experts in their own things, and in the same way, the children of light should learn from them to be experts in the solution to their problems, using the criteria of the Kingdom and not the criteria of this world. “Be cunning as serpents and innocent as doves” (Mt 10, 16).
4) Personal questions
• Am I coherent?
• Which criteria do I use in the solution of my problems?
• Which criteria do I use in the solution of my problems?
5) Concluding prayer
One thing I ask of Yahweh, one thing I seek:
to dwell in Yahweh's house all the days of my life,
to enjoy the sweetness of Yahweh,
to seek out his temple. (Ps 27,4)
to dwell in Yahweh's house all the days of my life,
to enjoy the sweetness of Yahweh,
to seek out his temple. (Ps 27,4)
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