1ST READING
Since
the olden days, the rich have been taking advantage of the poor, and it
is no different today. This is indefensible. The same is true of
systemic tax evasion. We have a responsibility to pay the right taxes
for the common good of society. If politicians steal money through their
corrupt practices, then let them be accountable to God. This is the
nature of the call to holiness — making the hard decisions but the right
ones. Let us not allow temptation to get the better of us.
Amos 8:4-7
4 Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land! 5“When will the new moon be over,” you ask, “that we may sell
our grain, and the sabbath, that we may display the wheat? We will
diminish the ephah, add to the shekel, and fix our scales for cheating! 6 We will buy the lowly for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals; even the refuse of the wheat we will sell!” 7 The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Never will I forget a thing they have done!
P S A L M
Psalm 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8
R: Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.
1 Praise, you servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. 2 Blessed be the name of the Lord both now and forever. (R) 4 High above all nations is the Lord; above the heavens is his glory. 5 Who is like the Lord, our God, who is enthroned on high 6 and looks upon the heavens and the earth
below? (R) 7 He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill he lifts up the poor 8 to seat them with princes, with the princes of his own people. (R)
2ND READING
Accepting
Jesus as our Savior and Lord is the most important thing we need to do.
Living this truth as a witness to the Gospel is the second. Paul
exhorts Timothy to stand as a living testimony to the power of the
Gospel to transform lives. They both experienced this and now it is
their duty to give witness to it.
1 Timothy 2:1-8
1 Beloved: First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, 2 for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. 3 This is good and pleasing to God our savior, 4 who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as ransom for all. This was the testimony at the proper time. 7 For
this I was appointed preacher and apostle — I am speaking the truth, I
am not lying — teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 8 It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.
GOSPEL
In
a relationship, trust can grow or can be destroyed by betrayal. Today’s
parable ends with the affirmation that God’s trust in us grows when we
are faithful in using the gifts and talents He has given us. If we
cannot be faithful in small matters, then we will find it hard to be
faithful in big ones.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Though our Lord Jesus Christ was rich, he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.
Luke 16:1-13
1 Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. 2 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.’ 3 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. 4
I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’ 5 He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 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.’ 7 Then to another the steward said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred kors of
wheat.’ The steward said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ 8 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. 9 I
tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that
when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 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. He will either hate one and love the
other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God
and mammon.”
think: This is the nature of the call to holiness — making the hard decisions but the right ones.
T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: __________________
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God’s special verse/thought for me today_
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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Ezekiel 1-4
SABBATH PAUSE
My weekly time with God
THANK YOU LIST
Things to be grateful for from the past week
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SPECIAL NEEDS
Things to ask God for in the coming week
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HIDDEN TREASURE
Most important word God told me this week
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