31ST SATURDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 16:9-15) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
- NHA CHUA CHA
- 23 hours ago
- 5 min read
FIRST READING - Rom 16:3-9, 16, 22-27
"Greet one another with a holy kiss."
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
3 Greet Prisca and Aquila,[a] my co-workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I am grateful but also all the churches of the Gentiles; 5 greet also the church at their house.[b] Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the firstfruits in Asia for Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,[c] my relatives and my fellow prisoners; they are prominent among the apostles and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. 22 I, Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus,[a] the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus greet you. [24 ][b]
[c] [25 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[d] 26 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, 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.]
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Lk 16:9-15
"If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?"
✠From the Gospel according to Luke
9 I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,[a] so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 [b]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. 11 If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? 12 If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? 13 No servant can serve two masters.[c] He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
14 [d]The Pharisees, who loved money,[e] heard all these things and sneered at him. 15 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.
31ST SATURDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 16:9-15)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God,
The Word of God in today’s Gospel calls everyone to live righteously and uprightly before God — that is, to be sincere in thought, word, action, and deed — for God knows the depths of every human thought and action.
God does not desire that anyone live in self-deception. For when one lives in deceit, one’s heart can never find true peace.
God loves everyone and He teaches us to live in a way that pleases Him more and more.
Today’s Gospel speaks of the image of the faithful, prudent, and wise servants.
He calls upon everyone to be faithful to him at all times and in all places when working as stewards of God’s assets – that is grace and blessings granted by Him.
To be a faithful steward in God’s eyes means to remain faithful and to fulfill the responsibilities that God has given.
For God, the fulfillment of responsibilities entrusted by God is to love God above all things and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Only when we hold deep reverence and holy fear before God will we be refrained from doing anything that displeases Him.
Moreover, in order to live according to the command that we must love God above all else, we must also practice justice and charity toward our neighbors. We must love others as ourselves and serve them selflessly, for each person is a part of the Body of Christ and has the image of the God of love.
God always desires what is good for humanity. He does not want anyone to become enslaved by worldly riches and possessions or to fall into the temptations of Satan, such as greed, wealth, power, and ambition.
God desires that we place Him above all things and worship Him alone as our only Master and loving Father, who guards and protects us from the captivity of Satan.
Today’s Gospel contrasts the faithful, talented, and wise servants with those who fail to do their master’s will, — that is, the servants who do not please God.
In today’s world, each of us stands in the place of a servant, a steward of God’s gifts. Therefore, God calls everyone:
• To live in such a way that we fulfill the duties entrusted to us by God the Father, worshiping Him alone as our only Master and Father.
• To strive to please Him at all times and in all places. And in order to please God in such a way, a servant must listen attentively, meditate deeply, and put the Word of God into practice in thought, word, action, and deed.
• To remain faithful and loyal to God. He does not want us to fall into the snares of Satan, who tempts us to worship material possessions, wealth, honor, and glory of the world, causing us to lose vigilance and to stray from the path of the loving God.
Therefore, today’s Word of God invites all people to live wisely — that is, to live in holy reverence and in awe before God, placing Him above all things.
When every thought, word, action, and deed in our lives is directed toward God, we will not fall into the temptations of Satan, and our lives will always be pleasing to Him.
Those who please God at all times and in all places will have their names written in heaven and will be rewarded with eternal happiness in the Kingdom of God.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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