Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Possessions And The Gospel
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Year II. Concluding his warm letter to them, Paul expresses his great gratitude to the Philippians, the only community from which he had accepted material help. May God bless them.
Gospel. After the Lord’s parable on the unjust steward, Luke adds several statements from various sources, some allegorical reflections of the early Christian communities, some his own comments, all rather remotely related to the parable. Behind these lies his attitude toward poverty and the use of the goods of this earth.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
you tell us today through your Son
that we cannot be at the same time
your friends and the friends of money.
Make us see more deeply
that we are money’s friends
when we are unjust to others
or tolerate injustice by our silence.
But make us also more deeply aware
that we are your friends when we value simple living,
when we are not greedy for money or social status,
but when we invest in people
and use your gifts for serving them
and building up your kingdom.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
First Reading
Thanks and Final Greetings
I rejoice in the Lord because of your concern for me. You were truly concerned about me before, but you had no chance to show it.
I do not say this because I am in need; I have learned to get by with what I have.
I know what it’s like to be in want and to have plenty. I am trained for both: to be hungry or satisfied, to have much or little.
I can do all things through him who gives me strength.
However, you were right to share my trials.
You Philippians, remember that in the beginning, when we first preached the gospel after I left Macedonia, you alone opened a debit and credit account for me,
and when I was in Thessalonica, twice you sent me what I needed.
It is not your gift that I value, but rather the interest growing in your own account.
Now I have enough and more than enough, with everything Epaphroditus brought me on your behalf and which I received as fragrant offerings pleasing to God.
God himself will supply your every need according to his riches, and show you his generosity in Christ Jesus.
Responsorial Psalm
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
So that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
And so I tell you: use filthy money to make friends for yourselves, so that, when it fails, these people may welcome you into the eternal homes.
Whoever can be trusted with small things can also be trusted with big ones; whoever is dishonest about minor matters will also be dishonest about greater ones.
So, if you have been dishonest in handling dirty money, who would trust you with real wealth?
And if you have been dishonest with things that are not really yours, who will give you that wealth which is truly yours?
No servant can serve two masters. Either he does not favor one and prefers the other, or he respects one highly and looks down on the other. You cannot devote yourself to both God and Money.”
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and sneered at Jesus.
He said to them:
“You do your best to be considered righteous by people. But God knows the heart, and what is highly esteemed by human beings is loathed by God.
Prayers of the Faithful
– That governments may not promote or allow, for paying national debts or private gain, the destruction or plunder of natural resources, like forests that are the pride and riches of the nation, we pray:
– That our families may promote sober living, we pray:
– That parents may teach their children that there are higher values than money and possessions, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God, you break for us here
the bread that satisfies the poor
and pour for us the wine of joy
of Jesus your Son.
With him, and by the wisdom and strength
of his Holy Spirit,
may we place ourselves and all our gifts and creativity
in the service of people,
that your kingdom may grow
in us and among all people
and by your grace stand for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Almighty, all-rich God,
what you create you give away
and entrust it to us.
We try to keep riches and power
firmly in our own hands.
We thank you that you are different,
generous and unobtrusive,
hidden behind your gifts.
Teach us that we do not become smaller
when we make one another great
nor poorer if others are well-off.
Let us be of the mentality of him
who gave up power and might for our sakes,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Jesus wants us to be thankful for God’s gifts by using what we have responsibly, including sharing. After all, we have been given much. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Let fidelity sensitise our skin
Luke 16:9-15
The real human values are those that stay by you, give you happiness and enrich you.
In today’s gospel Jesus invites his disciples to practice the simple values in life. First Fidelity or faithfulness, second single mindedness focusing on God or serving only God, third purification of heart in responsibilities.
Single mindedness. The main focus of Christians should be on God not in the riches. Wealth, which can serve as a means and opportunity for securing one’s place in the kingdom if used shrewdly for the sake of others, can also become a master. So, the way we use what we have reveals who we serve. The choice of having no master is not an option for us because emptiness naturally will be filled with something. Materialism enslaves us as St. Paul says in 1 Tim. 6.10, money is the root of all kinds of Evil, but God requires exclusive fidelity.
God sees the heart. Internal life is looked by God not the outer appearance. We beautify our external appearance with whatever we have which may be admired or praised by many people. But we are always admired by God when our internal life is pure and unstained. Today Jesus wants us to have clean heart and lead a pure life.
Albert Einstein says try not to become a man of success but rather try to become man of values. Our fidelity is tested by the way we deal with people despite designation and resources despite quantity while our shrewdness test by the way we use our material goods to help those in need. St. Paul, in the first reading, outstands his fidelity by accounting faithfully everyone’s contribution in spreading good news.
Let us make a distinction between the values that we possess and make efforts to cultivate those values that take us near to God. Fred Craddock invites us to introspect our fidelity as the week will present no more than a chance to give a cup of water, write a note, visit a sick in the parish, vote for a politician, teach a Sunday school class, share a meal, tell a child a story, go to choir practice, wish a neighbour and feed a poor in the street. “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much”