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The Five First Saturdays Devotion [Catholic Caucus]
Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Catholic Devotions: First Saturday Devotion to Our Lady [Catholic Caucus]
Catholic Meditations: First Saturday
Remembering the Forgotten First Saturdays

The Experience of ‘The Call’ (Discerning a Call to the Priesthood or Religious Life)

Priesthood Sunday - October 25, 2009
Health Care Council Letter to Priests, "A Priest at the Bedside of a Sick Person Represents Christ"
A Vocation to Be a Priest?
Do You Appreciate Your Priest? (with a touch of humor)
In India, Holy Orders

A priest’s chalice
Christ for Us: The Year for Priests [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
On Mary, Mother of Priests
Bishop Olmsted on the Devil and John Vianney
Catholic Caucus: Prayer for Our Priests (Year of the Priest)

Benedict reflects on Mary and the priesthood [Catholic Caucus]
The Priesthood — A Priceless Gift
Forming Those Who Form Priests: The Gift of Purity of Heart
Spiritual Mothers of Priests: Your Questions [Year of the Priest]
Eucharistic Season in the Year of the Priesthood

Pope's Address at Audience With New Archbishops: "Carry Deeply in Your Hearts Your Priests"
No Matter What, He Always "Acts Like a Priest" [Ecumenical]
On Priestly Identity
What Can I Do For the Year of the Priest?
The Rosary for the Year of the Priest [Catholic Caucus]

Pope Notes His Goal for Year for Priests
On the Year for Priests
WHY A YEAR FOR PRIESTS?
Curé d'Ars: Model Priest [Year of the Priest]
ZENIT Launches Column on Priesthood

[Justin] Cardinal Rigali on the Year for Priests
Church Being Given Chance to Rediscover Priesthood [Year of the Priest]
Celebrating the Year of the Priesthood
St. John Vianney's Pastoral Plan
LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI PROCLAIMING A YEAR FOR PRIESTS [Catholic Caucus]

Year of the Priest Letter (Media immediately scrutinize its contents for controversy)
Year of the Priest [Catholic Caucus]
The Year for Priests [Catholic Caucus]
Year of the Priest Begins Friday
U.S. bishops launch website for Year for Priests

Jesus. High Priest

The Year of the Priest

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary

By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Joyful Mysteries
(Mondays and Saturdays)
1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]

~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+

Prayer Campaign Started to Convert Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians to Pro-Life

[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries

November Devotion: The Holy Souls in Purgatory

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. As a reminder of our duty to pray for the suffering faithful in Purgatory, the Church has dedicated the month of November to the Holy Souls. The Holy Souls are those who have died in the state of grace but who are not yet free from all punishment due to their unforgiven venial sins and all other sins already forgiven for which satisfaction is still to be made. They are certain of entering Heaven, but first they must suffer in Purgatory. The Holy Souls cannot help themselves because for them the night has come, when no man can work (John 9:4). It is our great privilege of brotherhood that we can shorten their time of separation from God by our prayers, good works, and, especially, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

INVOCATION Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

FOR THE SOULS IN PURGATORY My Jesus, by the sorrows Thou didst suffer in Thine agony in the Garden, in Thy scourging and crowning with thorns, in the way to Calvary, in Thy crucifixion and death, have mercy on the souls in purgatory, and especially on those that are most forsaken; do Thou deliver them from the dire torments they endure; call them and admit them to Thy most sweet embrace in paradise. Our Father, Hail Mary, Eternal rest, etc.

FOR ALL THE DECEASED By Thy resurrection from the dead, O Christ, death no longer hath dominion over those who die in holiness. So, we beseech Thee, give rest to Thy servants in Thy sanctuary and in Abraham's bosom. Grant it to those, who from Adam until now have adored Thee with purity, to our fathers and brothers, to our kinsmen and friends, to all men who have lived by faith and passed on their road to Thee, by a thousand ways, and in all conditions, and make them worthy of the heavenly kingdom. Byzantine Liturgy

DE PROFUNDIS The psalmist is crying out here from the depression that grips him because of his sense of sin. He tells God that no man could be forgiven should strict justice be demanded; but, since God is forgiving and merciful, the psalmist (Israel) will hope for redemption from iniquities. We, who know the mercy of God far better than the g Israelites, may pray this psalm with even greater trust in God. The Church uses this psalm in the liturgy as her official prayer for the souls in Purgatory. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my, voice! Let Your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication: If You, O Lord, mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand? But with You is forgiveness, that You may be revered. I trust in the Lord; my soul trusts in His word. My soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn. More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the Lord, For with the Lord is kindness and with Him is plenteous redemption; And He will redeem Israel from all their iniquities. Psalm 130

THE MISERERE This psalm is a marvelous act of contrition, confession, and supplication by a repentant sinner. It was composed by David after his sin with Bethsabee. In reparation David promises to lead others back to God by telling them of the ways of divine justice. Instead of offering God an external sacrifice which he knows He will not accept, he offers instead the sacrifice of a contrite and humble heart, a sacrifice that will always be most pleasing in the eyes of God. Have mercy on me, 0 God, in Your goodness; in the greatness of Your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always: "Against You only have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight"-- That You may be justified in Your sentence, vindicated when You condemn. Indeed, in guilt was I born, and in sin my mother conceived me; Behold, You are pleased with sincerity of heart, and in my inmost being You teach me wisdom. Cleanse me of sin with hyssop, that I may be purified; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness; the bones You have crushed shall rejoice. Turn away Your face from my sins, and blot out all my guilt. A clean heart create for me, 0 God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from Your presence, and Your holy spirit take not from me. Give me back the joy of Your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall return to You. Free me from blood guilt, 0 God, my saving God; then my tongue shall revel in Your justice. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim Your praise. For You are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a holocaust, You would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, 0 God, You will not spurn. Be bountiful, O Lord, to Sion in Your kindness by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem; Then shall You be pleased with due sacrifices, burnt offerings and holocausts; then shall they offer up bullocks on Your altar. Psalm 50

FOR THE SOULS IN PURGATORY O Lord, who art ever merciful and bounteous with Thy gifts, look down upon the suffering souls in purgatory. Remember not their offenses and negligences, but be mindful of Thy loving mercy, which is from all eternity. Cleanse them of their sins and fulfill their ardent desires that they may be made worthy to behold Thee face to face in Thy glory. May they soon be united with Thee and hear those blessed words which will call them to their heavenly home: "Come, blessed of My Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Repeat these prayers every seven days during the month of November for the Poor Souls in Purgatory

SUNDAY

O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech You by the Precious Blood, which Your divine Son Jesus shed in the Garden, deliver the souls in purgatory, and especially that one which is the most forsaken of all, and bring it into Your glory, where it may praise and bless You for ever. Amen.

Say here: one Our Father and one Hail Mary

CONCLUDING PRAYERS

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Merciful Father, hear our prayers and console us. As we renew our faith in Your Son, whom You raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

MONDAY

O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech You by the Precious Blood, which Your divine Son Jesus shed in His cruel scourging, deliver the souls in purgatory, and among them all, especially that soul which is nearest to its entrance into Your glory, that it may soon begin to praise You and bless You for ever. Amen.

Say here: one Our Father and one Hail Mary

CONCLUDING PRAYERS

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Merciful Father, hear our prayers and console us. As we renew our faith in Your Son, whom You raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

TUESDAY

O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech You by the Precious Blood of Your divine Son Jesus that was shed in His bitter crowning with thorns, deliver the souls in purgatory, and among them all, particularly that soul which is in the greatest need of our prayers, in order that it may not long be delayed in praising You in Your glory and blessing You for ever. Amen.

Say here: one Our Father and one Hail Mary

CONCLUDING PRAYERS

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Merciful Father, hear our prayers and console us. As we renew our faith in Your Son, whom You raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

WEDNESDAY

O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech You by the Precious Blood of Your divine Son Jesus that was shed in the streets of Jerusalem while He carried on His sacred shoulders the heavy burden of the Cross, deliver the souls in purgatory and especially that one which is richest in merits in Your sight, so that, having soon attained the high place in glory to which it is destined, it may praise You triumphantly and bless You for ever. Amen

Say here: one Our Father and one Hail Mary

CONCLUDING PRAYERS

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Merciful Father, hear our prayers and console us. As we renew our faith in Your Son, whom You raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

THURSDAY

O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech You by the Precious Body and Blood of Your divine Son Jesus, which He Himself on the night before His Passion gave as meat and drink to His beloved Apostles and bequeathed to His Holy Church to be the perpetual Sacrifice and life-giving nourishment of His faithful people, deliver the souls in purgatory, but most of all, that soul which was most devoted to this Mystery of infinite love, in order that it may praise You therefore, together with Your divine Son and the Holy Spirit in Your glory for ever. Amen.

Say here: one Our Father and one Hail Mary

CONCLUDING PRAYERS

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Merciful Father, hear our prayers and console us. As we renew our faith in Your Son, whom You raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

FRIDAY

O Lord God omnipotent,
I beseech You by the Precious Blood which Jesus Your divine Son did shed this day upon the tree of the Cross, especially from His sacred Hands and Feet, deliver the souls in purgatory, and particularly that soul for whom I am most bound to pray, in order that I may not be the cause which hinders You from admitting it quickly to the possession of Your glory where it may praise You and bless You for evermore. Amen

Say here: one Our Father and one Hail Mary

CONCLUDING PRAYERS

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Merciful Father, hear our prayers and console us. As we renew our faith in Your Son, whom You raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

SATURDAY

O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech You by the Precious Blood which gushed forth from the sacred Side of Your divine Son Jesus in the presence and to the great sorrow of His most holy Mother, deliver the souls in purgatory and among them all especially that soul which has been most devout to this noble Lady, that it may come quickly into Your glory, there to praise You in her, and her in You through all the ages. Amen.

Say here: one Our Father and one Hail Mary

CONCLUDING PRAYERS

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Merciful Father, hear our prayers and console us. As we renew our faith in Your Son, whom You raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

To Trace All Souls Day (Protestants vs Catholics)

November 2 -- All Souls Day
On November: All Souls and the "Permanent Things"
"From the Pastor" ALL SAINTS & ALL SOULS
Praying for the Dead [All Souls Day] (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
To Trace All Souls Day [Ecumenical]

All Souls Day [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Roots of All Souls Day
The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
During Month of Souls, Recall Mystic, St. Gertrude the Great
All Saints and All Souls

All Saints, All Souls and the Four Last Things
The Feast of All Saints - What are the origins of All Saints Day and All Souls Day?
All Saints and All Souls
All Souls Day and final destinations
Ideas for Sanctifying Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day

Holy Father's Prayer Intentions For November 2009

General: That all the men and women in the world, especially those who have responsibilities in the field of politics and economics, may never fail in their commitment to safeguard creation.

Mission: That believers in the different religions, through the testimony of their lives and fraternal dialogue, may clearly demonstrate that the name of God is a bearer of peace.

From: Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27

Greetings and Recommendations

[3] Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, [4] who risked
their necks for my life, to whom not only I but also all the churches of the Gen-
tiles give thanks; [5] greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved
Epanetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. [6] Greet Mary, who has
worked hard among you. [7] Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my
fellow prisoners; they are men of note among the apostles, and they were in
Christ before me. [8] Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. [9] Greet Urba-
nus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. [16] Greet one ano-
ther 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, the city treasurer,
and our brother Quartus, greet you.

Doxology

[25] Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was
kept secret for long ages [26] but is now disclosed and through the prophetic
writings is made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal
God, to bring about the obedience of faith—[27] to the only wise God be glory for
evermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1-16. This long series of affectionate greetings which the Apostle sends the Ro-
mans shows that the early Christians formed one great family, in which each
saw the rest as brothers and sisters (cf. Acts 15:23; Rom 1:13; 1 Cor 1:10; Jas
1:2; 2 Pet 1:10; 1 Jn 3:13; etc.). As we can see from the names given here, this
family contained people from manly different parts of the Empire—Greeks: Andro-
nicus, Olympas, Asyncritus, Hermes; people from Asia Minor or the Hellenic
world: Epaenetus, Persis, Patrobas; Latins: Junias, Ampliatus, Prisca, Julia,
Urbanus; Jews: Herodion, Mary, Tryphaena, Tryphosa, etc. It also included peo-
ple of all types of social background; most of the people mentioned probably
were of humble condition or slaves or freed men, as can be deduced from texts
on funeral slabs; but there were others who had social positions of some impor-
tance, like Prisca, who was a member of a noble Roman family, Aristobulus and
Narcissus, who belonged to “a family”, that is, a household with many servants,
Erastus, etc.

They all felt united by a bond of charity and a common calling to holiness, as
can be seen from references to “the saints” (cf. Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:2; Heb 13:24;
Jude 3; etc.). They were not perfect; we are well aware that they had their limita-
tions (cf. the moral irregularities mentioned in chapter 13, and the disagreements
between the “strong” and the “weak” in chapter 14); but their desire for sanctity
and their charity inspired them to serve one another and to put themselves and
their possessions at the disposal of the Church. Their commitment was such
that they managed to spread their influence in a pagan world and light it up with
the light of salvation. They were families “who lived in union with Christ and who
made him known to others. Small Christian communities which were centers for
the spreading of the Gospel and its message. Families no different from other fa-
milies of those times, but living with a new spirit, which spread to all those who
were in contact with them. This is what the first Christians were, and this is what
we have to be—sowers of peace and joy, the peace and joy that Jesus has
brought to us” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 30).

1-2. Phoebe was probably the bearer of this letter. She came from Cenchreae,
the eastern port of Corinth. Paul refers to her being a “ministra ecclesiae”, a mi-
nister or servant of the church at Cenchreae, perhaps because she helped with
the assistance given to the poor and needy and may have had an auxiliary role
in the baptism of women. Pliny the Younger, in his letter to the emperor Trajan,
makes reference to two such women who helped in the Christian community
(”Letter 10”, 96).

4. Prisca and Aquila were a well-known married couple, as we can see from
other passages in the New Testament (cf. Acts 18:2, 18; 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4
19). They probably came to the Apostle’s aid in Ephesus at the time of the riot
of the silversmiths (cf. Acts 19:23-40). Prisca or Priscilla, it has been suggested,
was connected with a Roman family of senatorial rank, the Pudentes. According
to an early tradition, St Paul stayed as a guest in their house in Rome.

5. Epaenetus was the “first-fruit” of Asia, that is, the first to be baptized in that
eastern province of the Empire.

23. Gaius, one of the very few Christians of Corinth whom St Paul himself bap-
tized (cf. 1 Cor 1:14), had made his house available to the Apostle and let it be
used for church assembly.

25-27. Unlike other letters, this one ends with an elaborate poem of praise, or
doxology, addressed through Jesus Christ, to God almighty
and wise.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Luke 16: 9-15

The Unjust Steward (Continuation)

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [9] “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves
by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you
into the eternal habitations.

[10] “He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is
dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. [11] If then you have not
been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true
riches? [12] And if you had not been faithful in that which is another’s, who
will give you that which is your own? [13] No servant can serve two masters;
for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the
one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

[14] The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they scoffed
at Him. [15] But He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before
men, but God knows your hearts; for what is exalted among men is an abomi-
nation in the sight of God.”

*****************************************************************************************
Commentary:

9-11. “Unrighteous mammon” means temporal good which have been obtained
in some unjust, unrighteous way. However, God is very merciful: even this un-
just wealth can enable a person to practice virtue by making restitution, by
paying for the damage done and then by striving to help his neighbor by giving
alms, by creating work opportunities, etc. This was the case with Zacchaeus,
the chief tax collector, who undertook to restore fourfold anything he had un-
justly taken, and also to give half his wealth to the poor. On hearing that, our
Lord specifically declared that salvation had that day come to that house (cf.
Luke 19:1-10).

Our Lord speaks out about faithfulness in very little things, referring to riches
—which really are insignificant compared with spiritual wealth. If a person is
faithful and generous and is detached in the use he makes of these temporal
riches, he will, at the end of his life, receive the rewards of eternal life, which
is the greatest treasure of all, and a permanent one. Besides, by its very na-
ture human life is a fabric of little things: anyone who fails to give them their
importance will never be able to achieve great things. “Everything in which
we poor men have a part—even holiness—is a fabric of small trifles which, de-
pending upon one’s intention, can form a magnificent tapestry of heroism or
of degradation, of virtues or of sins.

“The epic legends always relate extraordinary adventures, but never fail to
mix them with homely details about the hero. May you always attach great
importance to the little things. This is the way!” (St. J. Escriva, “The Way”,
826).

The parable of the unjust steward is a symbol of man’s life. Everything we
have is a gift from God, and we are His stewards or managers, who sooner
or later will have to render an account to Him.

12. “That which is another’s” refers to temporal things, which are essentially
impermanent. “That which is your own” refers to goods of the spirit, values
which endure, which are things we really do possess because they will go
with us into eternal life. In other words: how can we be given Heaven if we
have proved unfaithful, irresponsible, during our life on earth?

13-14. In the culture of that time “service” involved such commitment to one’s
master that a servant could not take on any other work or serve any other
master.

Our service to God, our sanctification, requires us to direct all our actions to-
wards Him. A Christian does not divide up his time, allocating some of it to
God and some of it to worldly affairs: everything he does should become a
type of service to God and neighbor—by doing things with upright motivation,
and being just and charitable.

The Pharisees jeered at what Jesus was saying, in order to justify their own
attachment to material things; sometimes people make fun of total commit-
ment to God and detachment from material things because they themselves
are not ready to practice virtue; they cannot even imagine other people really
having this generosity: they think they must have ulterior motives. See also
the note on Matthew 6:24.

[The note on Matthew 6:24 states:

24. Man’s ultimate goal is God; to attain this goal he should commit himself
entirely. But in fact some people do not have God as their ultimate goal, and
instead choose wealth of some kind—in which case wealth becomes their god.
Man cannot have two absolute and contrary goals.]

15. “Abomination”: the original Greek work means worship of idols, and, by
derivation, the horror this provoked in a true worshipper of God. So the expres-
sion conveys God’s disgust with the attitude of the Pharisees who, by wanting
to be exalted, are putting themselves, like idols, in the place of God.

*****************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Mass Readings

First reading	Romans 16:3-9,16,22-27 ©
My greetings to Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked death to save my life: I am not the only one to owe them a debt of gratitude, all the churches among the pagans do as well. My greetings also to the church that meets at their house. Greetings to my friend Epaenetus, the first of Asia’s gifts to Christ; greetings to Mary who worked so hard for you; to those outstanding apostles Andronicus and Junias, my compatriots and fellow prisoners who became Christians before me; to Ampliatus, my friend in the Lord; to Urban, my fellow worker in Christ; to my friend Stachys; Greet each other with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings. I, Tertius, who wrote out this letter, greet you in the Lord. Greetings from Gaius, who is entertaining me and from the whole church that meets in his house. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends his greetings; so does our brother Quartus. Glory to him who is able to give you the strength to live according to the Good News I preach, and in which I proclaim Jesus Christ, the revelation of a mystery kept secret for endless ages, but now so clear that it must be broadcast to pagans everywhere to bring them to the obedience of faith. This is only what scripture has predicted, and it is all part of the way the eternal God wants things to be. He alone is wisdom; give glory therefore to him through Jesus Christ for ever and ever. Amen.

First reading

Romans 16:3-9,16,22-27 ©

My greetings to Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked death to save my life: I am not the only one to owe them a debt of gratitude, all the churches among the pagans do as well. My greetings also to the church that meets at their house.

Greetings to my friend Epaenetus, the first of Asia’s gifts to Christ; greetings to Mary who worked so hard for you; to those outstanding apostles Andronicus and Junias, my compatriots and fellow prisoners who became Christians before me; to Ampliatus, my friend in the Lord; to Urban, my fellow worker in Christ; to my friend Stachys; Greet each other with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

I, Tertius, who wrote out this letter, greet you in the Lord. Greetings from Gaius, who is entertaining me and from the whole church that meets in his house. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends his greetings; so does our brother Quartus.

Glory to him who is able to give you the strength to live according to the Good News I preach, and in which I proclaim Jesus Christ, the revelation of a mystery kept secret for endless ages, but now so clear that it must be broadcast to pagans everywhere to bring them to the obedience of faith. This is only what scripture has predicted, and it is all part of the way the eternal God wants things to be. He alone is wisdom; give glory therefore to him through Jesus Christ for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 144:2-5,10-11

Gospel	Luke 16:9-15 ©
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own? ‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’ The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’

Gospel

Luke 16:9-15 ©

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?

‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’

Saturday, November 7, 2009
Saturday Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

First Reading:
Psalm:
Gospel:

Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27
Psalm 145:2-5, 10-11
Luke 16:9-15

Blood that but one drop of has the power to win.......All the world forgiveness of its world of sin.

-- St. Thomas Aquinas

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

Office of Readings and Invitatory Psalm

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.

– O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 106 (107)
Thanksgiving after rescue
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his kindness, for the wonders he works for men.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his kindness is for ever. Let them say this, the people the Lord has redeemed, those whom he rescued from their enemies whom he gathered together from all lands, from east and west, from the north and the south. They wandered through desert and wilderness, they could find no way to a city they could dwell in. Their souls were weary within them, weary from hunger and thirst. They cried to the Lord in their trouble and he rescued them from their distress. He set them on the right path towards a city they could dwell in. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his kindness, for the wonders he works for men: the Lord, who feeds hungry creatures and gives water to the thirsty to drink. They sat in the darkness and shadow of death, imprisoned in chains and in misery, because they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsels of the Most High. He wore out their hearts with labour: they were weak, there was no-one to help. They cried to the Lord in their trouble and he rescued them from their distress. He led them out of the darkness and shadow of death, he shattered their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his kindness, for the wonders he works for men: the Lord, who shatters doors of bronze, who breaks bars of iron. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his kindness, for the wonders he works for men.

Psalm 106 (107)
They have seen the works of the Lord and the wonders he performs.
The people were sick because they transgressed, afflicted because of their sins. All food was distasteful to them, they were on the verge of death. They cried to the Lord in their trouble and he rescued them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them, delivered them from their ruin. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his kindness, for the wonders he works for men: Let them offer a sacrifice of praise and proclaim his works with rejoicing. Those who go down to the sea in ships, those who trade across the great waters – they have seen the works of the Lord, the wonders he performs in the deep. He spoke, and a storm arose, and the waves of the sea rose up. They rose up as far as the heavens and descended down to the depths: the sailors’ hearts melted from fear, they staggered and reeled like drunkards, terror drove them out of their minds. But they cried to the Lord in their trouble and he rescued them from their distress. He turned the storm into a breeze and silenced the waves. They rejoiced at the ending of the storm and he led them to the port that they wanted. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his kindness, for the wonders he works for men: let them exalt him in the assembly of the people, give him praise in the council of the elders. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
They have seen the works of the Lord and the wonders he performs.

Psalm 106 (107)
The upright shall see and be glad, and understand the mercies of the Lord.
The Lord has turned rivers into wilderness, he has made well-watered lands into desert, fruitful ground into salty waste because of the evil of those who dwelt there. But he has made wilderness into ponds, deserts into the sources of rivers, he has called together the hungry and they have founded a city to dwell in. They have sowed the fields, planted the vines; they grow and harvest their produce. He has blessed them and they have multiplied; he does not let their cattle decrease. But those others became few and oppressed through trouble, evil, and sorrow. He poured his contempt on their princes and set them to wander the trackless waste. But the poor he has saved from their poverty and their families grow numerous as sheep. The upright shall see, and be glad, and all wickedness shall block up its mouth. Whoever is wise will remember these things and understand the mercies of the Lord. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
The upright shall see and be glad, and understand the mercies of the Lord.

Lord, your faithfulness reaches up to the clouds.

– Your judgements reach down to the depths.

Reading	1 Maccabees 9:1-22 ©
Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his army had fallen in battle, and he sent Bacchides and Alcimus a second time into the land of Judah, and with them the right wing of his army. They took the road to Galilee and besieged Mesaloth in Arbela, and captured it, putting many people to death. In the first month of the year one hundred and fifty-two they set up camp before Jerusalem; they then moved on, making their way to Beerzeth with twenty thousand foot and two thousand horse. Judas lay in camp at Elasa, with three thousand picked men. When they saw the huge size of the enemy forces they were terrified, and many slipped out of the camp, until no more than eight hundred of the force were left. When Judas saw that his army had melted away and that attack was imminent, he was aghast, for he had no time to rally them. Yet, dismayed as he was, he said to those who were left, ‘Up! Let us face the enemy; we may yet have the strength to fight them.’ His men tried to dissuade him, declaring, ‘We have no strength for anything but to escape with our lives this time; then we can come back with our brothers to fight them; by ourselves we are too few.’ ‘God forbid’ Judas retorted ‘that I should do such a thing as run away from them! If our time has come, at least let us die like men for our countrymen, and leave nothing to tarnish our reputation.’ The enemy forces then marched out of the camp, and the Jews took up their position in readiness to engage them. The cavalry was ordered into two squadrons; the slingers and archers marched in the van of the army with the shock-troops, all stout fighters; Bacchides was on the right wing. The phalanx advanced from between the two squadrons, sounding the trumpets; the men on Judas’ side blew their trumpets also, and the earth shook with the noise of the armies. The engagement lasted from morning until evening. Judas saw that Bacchides and the main strength of his army lay on the right; all the stout-hearted rallied to him, and they broke the right wing and pursued them to the furthest foothills of the range. But when the Syrians on the left wing saw that the right had been broken, they turned and followed hot on the heels of Judas and his men to take them in the rear. The fight became desperate, and there were many casualties on both sides. Judas himself fell, and the remnant fled. Jonathan and Simon took up their brother Judas and buried him in his ancestral tomb at Modein. All Israel wept and mourned him deeply and for many days they repeated this dirge, ‘What a downfall for the strong man, the man who saved Israel single-handed!’ The other deeds of Judas, the battles he fought, the exploits he performed, and all his titles to greatness have not been recorded; but they were very many.

Reading

1 Maccabees 9:1-22 ©

Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his army had fallen in battle, and he sent Bacchides and Alcimus a second time into the land of Judah, and with them the right wing of his army. They took the road to Galilee and besieged Mesaloth in Arbela, and captured it, putting many people to death. In the first month of the year one hundred and fifty-two they set up camp before Jerusalem; they then moved on, making their way to Beerzeth with twenty thousand foot and two thousand horse. Judas lay in camp at Elasa, with three thousand picked men. When they saw the huge size of the enemy forces they were terrified, and many slipped out of the camp, until no more than eight hundred of the force were left. When Judas saw that his army had melted away and that attack was imminent, he was aghast, for he had no time to rally them. Yet, dismayed as he was, he said to those who were left, ‘Up! Let us face the enemy; we may yet have the strength to fight them.’ His men tried to dissuade him, declaring, ‘We have no strength for anything but to escape with our lives this time; then we can come back with our brothers to fight them; by ourselves we are too few.’ ‘God forbid’ Judas retorted ‘that I should do such a thing as run away from them! If our time has come, at least let us die like men for our countrymen, and leave nothing to tarnish our reputation.’

The enemy forces then marched out of the camp, and the Jews took up their position in readiness to engage them. The cavalry was ordered into two squadrons; the slingers and archers marched in the van of the army with the shock-troops, all stout fighters; Bacchides was on the right wing. The phalanx advanced from between the two squadrons, sounding the trumpets; the men on Judas’ side blew their trumpets also, and the earth shook with the noise of the armies. The engagement lasted from morning until evening.

Judas saw that Bacchides and the main strength of his army lay on the right; all the stout-hearted rallied to him, and they broke the right wing and pursued them to the furthest foothills of the range. But when the Syrians on the left wing saw that the right had been broken, they turned and followed hot on the heels of Judas and his men to take them in the rear. The fight became desperate, and there were many casualties on both sides. Judas himself fell, and the remnant fled.

Jonathan and Simon took up their brother Judas and buried him in his ancestral tomb at Modein. All Israel wept and mourned him deeply and for many days they repeated this dirge, ‘What a downfall for the strong man, the man who saved Israel single-handed!’ The other deeds of Judas, the battles he fought, the exploits he performed, and all his titles to greatness have not been recorded; but they were very many.

Reading	St Ambrose, On The Blessing of Death
On the blessing of death
St Paul says, The world is crucified to me, and I to the world. Then he tells us that he means death in this life, and a good death: We carry with us in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of our Lord Jesus, too, may always be seen in our body. Let death do its work in us, therefore, so that life may do its work also: a good life after death, that is, a good life after victory, after the battle is over, when the law of the flesh is no longer in conflict with the law of the mind, when we have no more battles with mortal flesh but in mortal flesh we have victory. I wonder if this death might not have more power in it than life. St Paul’s authority certainly suggests it when he says Death works in us but life in you. One man’s death has laid the foundations of life for so many people! And so St Paul teaches that we should seek that death in this life, so that Christ’s death should shine out in our bodies. That blessed death, in which our outer nature falls away and our inner nature is renewed, and our earthly dwelling is dissolved so that our heavenly home is laid open to us. A man imitates this death when he drags himself away from being part of this flesh and breaks those chains that the Lord had spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: Break unjust fetters, undo the thongs of the yoke, let the oppressed go free, and break every unjust constraint. It was to put an end to guilt that the Lord permitted death to come into the world; but so that human nature should not end up perishing by death instead of guilt, the resurrection of the dead was given us. By death, guilt would be ended, and by resurrection, human nature would be eternal. And thus this death is a journey for everyone. You must always be journeying: from decay to incorruptibility, from mortality to immortality, from turbulence to peace. Do not be alarmed by the word ‘death’ but rejoice at the good that the journey will bring. For what is death except the burial of vice and the raising up of virtue? Hence Scripture says, May I die the death of the just – that is, may I be buried with them, put down my vices, and put on the grace of the just, who carry the mortification of Christ around in their bodies and their souls.

Reading

St Ambrose, On The Blessing of Death

On the blessing of death

St Paul says, The world is crucified to me, and I to the world. Then he tells us that he means death in this life, and a good death: We carry with us in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of our Lord Jesus, too, may always be seen in our body.

Let death do its work in us, therefore, so that life may do its work also: a good life after death, that is, a good life after victory, after the battle is over, when the law of the flesh is no longer in conflict with the law of the mind, when we have no more battles with mortal flesh but in mortal flesh we have victory. I wonder if this death might not have more power in it than life. St Paul’s authority certainly suggests it when he says Death works in us but life in you.

One man’s death has laid the foundations of life for so many people! And so St Paul teaches that we should seek that death in this life, so that Christ’s death should shine out in our bodies. That blessed death, in which our outer nature falls away and our inner nature is renewed, and our earthly dwelling is dissolved so that our heavenly home is laid open to us.

A man imitates this death when he drags himself away from being part of this flesh and breaks those chains that the Lord had spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: Break unjust fetters, undo the thongs of the yoke, let the oppressed go free, and break every unjust constraint.

It was to put an end to guilt that the Lord permitted death to come into the world; but so that human nature should not end up perishing by death instead of guilt, the resurrection of the dead was given us. By death, guilt would be ended, and by resurrection, human nature would be eternal.

And thus this death is a journey for everyone. You must always be journeying: from decay to incorruptibility, from mortality to immortality, from turbulence to peace. Do not be alarmed by the word ‘death’ but rejoice at the good that the journey will bring. For what is death except the burial of vice and the raising up of virtue? Hence Scripture says, May I die the death of the just – that is, may I be buried with them, put down my vices, and put on the grace of the just, who carry the mortification of Christ around in their bodies and their souls.

Concluding Prayer
Almighty and compassionate God, it is by your gift that your faithful are able to serve you as they ought. Grant that we may hasten towards the joys you have promised and not stumble or sin on the way. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: November 07, 2009
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: 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. Grant 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.

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

7th

Saturday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time

The month of November is dedicated to the Souls in Purgatory. Is it not sad but true that the living so soon forget the dead? We forget when we live, we are forgotten when we die. "Lay my body anywhere," pleaded the dying St. Monica with her son, St. Augustine, "only this I beg of you: remember me at the altar of God."

Don't forget to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory from November 1 to the 8th.

The Church Suffering and the Church Militant
The Church Suffering and the Church Militant constitute in their relations a second circle of most vital activities. Having entered into the night "wherein no man can work," the Suffering Church cannot ripen to its final blessedness by any efforts of its own, but only through the help of others-through the intercessory prayers and sacrifices (suffragia) of those living members of the Body of Christ who being still in this world are able in the grace of Christ to perform expiatory works. The Church has from the earliest times faithfully guarded the words of Scripture that it is a holy and a wholesome thing to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins. [2 Mac. 12, 43] The suppliant cry of her liturgy: "Eternal rest give to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them," can be heard already in the Acts of the martyrdom of Sts. Perpetua and Felicitas (A.D. 203) and is represented in numerous sepulchral inscriptions of the most ancient period, while theologians and Fathers of the Church, beginning with Tertullian, have supplied its substantial proof. . . . So fundamental indeed and so natural to man's hope and desire and love is this belief, that historians of religion have discovered it among almost all non-Christian civilized peoples: a striking illustration of Tertullian's saying that the human soul is naturally Christian.

The Catholic, therefore, is zealous to expiate and suffer for the "poor souls," especially by offering the Eucharistic Sacrifice, wherein Christ's infinite expiation on the Cross is sacramentally represented, and stimulating and joining itself with the expiatory works of the faithful, passes to the Church Suffering according to the measure determined by God's wisdom and mercy. So the saying of St. Paul that the members of the Body of Christ are mutually careful one for another [1 Cor. 12, 25] is nowhere more comprehensively and luminously fulfilled than in the Church's suffrages for her dead children. When, in the Memento of the Mass, in the presence of the sacred Oblation and under the gaze so to speak of the Church Triumphant, she cries to heaven: "Be mindful also, O Lord, of thy servants and handmaids. . . . who have gone before us with the sign of faith and rest in the sleep of peace," then truly heaven and earth greet each other, the Church Triumphant, Suffering and Militant meet in a "holy kiss," and the "whole" Christ with all His members celebrates a blessed love-feast (agape), a memorial of their communion in love and joy and pain.

Excerpted from The Spirit of Catholicism, Karl Adam

Things to Do:

Today would be a good time to have a Mass offered for someone we love who might be in Purgatory. You can make this request of your parish priests or send a stipend to a priest in a religious community. Many religious communities have enrollments for Masses.

Indulgences for All Souls Week
An indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, is granted to the faithful, who devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed. The indulgence is plenary each day from the first to the eighth of November; on other days of the year it is partial.

A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, is granted to the faithful, who on the day dedicated to the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed [November 2 {as well as on the Sunday preceding or following, and on All Saints' Day}] piously visit a church. In visiting the church it is required that one Our Father and the Creed be recited.

To acquire a plenary indulgence it is necessary also to fulfill the following three conditions: sacramental Confession, Eucharistic communion, and prayer for the intention of the Holy Father. The three conditions may be fulfilled several days before or after the performance of the visit; it is, however, fitting that communion be received and the prayer for the intention of the Holy Father be said on the same day as the visit.

The condition of praying for the intention of the Holy Father is fully satisfied by reciting one Our Father and one Hail Mary. A plenary indulgence can be acquired only once in the course of the day.

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted here.

Psalm 118 (119): 145-152

Lord, you are near to me, and you are trustworthy in all your precepts.

I call on you with all my heart –

answer me, Lord.

I will obey your laws.

I call on you –

save me

so that I can keep your decrees.

At first light I cry to you,

I put all my hope in your word.

In the night I keep watch,

pondering your sayings.

In your mercy, Lord, hear my voice;

in your justice, give me life.

My persecutors come to do me harm:

they are far from your law.

But you, Lord, are near to me,

and you are trustworthy in all your precepts.

From the beginning I have known your decrees,

how you have made them to last for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Lord, you are near to me, and you are trustworthy in all your precepts.

Canticle	Wisdom 9

Lord, give me wisdom

Lord, may your Wisdom abide with me and work with me.

God of my fathers and Lord of mercy,

who made all things by your word;

who in your wisdom set man to rule over all that you created

– to arrange the world in holiness and justice

– to make right judgements according to the guidance of his heart:

give me Wisdom, who stands by your throne,

and let me not be unworthy to be your servant.

For I am your slave and the son of your servant-girl,

a man, weak, short-lived,

slow to understand your judgements and laws.

Even the highest of the children of men

– if your wisdom is absent – counts for nothing.

With you abides Wisdom, who knows your works.

She was with you when you made the world.

She knew what was pleasing to your eyes.

She saw what was right according to your precepts.

Send your Wisdom from the highest heaven;

send her from the throne of your greatness;

that she may abide with me and work with me,

so that I may know what it is that pleases you.

For Wisdom knows everything, and understands;

she will lead me wisely in what I do,

and protect me in her glory.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Lord, may your Wisdom abide with me and work with me.

Psalm 116 (117) Praise of the merciful Lord

God’s faithfulness is for ever.

Praise the Lord, all nations; all peoples, praise him.

For his mercy is strong over us and his faithfulness is for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

God’s faithfulness is for ever.

Short reading	Philippians 2:14-15 ©

Do all that has to be done without complaining or arguing and then you will be innocent and genuine, perfect children of God among a deceitful and underhand brood, and you will shine in the world like bright stars.

Short Responsory

I have cried out to you, Lord, for you are my refuge.

– I have cried out to you, Lord, for you are my refuge.

You are my allotted share in the land of the living.

– I have cried out to you, Lord, for you are my refuge.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– I have cried out to you, Lord, for you are my refuge.

Canticle	Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

O Lord, shine on the people who sit in gloom and the shadow of death.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.

He has raised up the sign of salvation

in the house of his servant David,

as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones,

his prophets through the ages:

to rescue us from our enemies

and all who hate us,

to take pity on our fathers,

to remember his holy covenant

and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,

that he would give himself to us,

that we could serve him without fear

– freed from the hands of our enemies –

in uprightness and holiness before him,

for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High:

for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,

to let his people know their salvation,

so that their sins may be forgiven.

Through the bottomless mercy of our God,

one born on high will visit us

to give light to those who walk in darkness,

who live in the shadow of death;

to lead our feet in the path of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

O Lord, shine on the people who sit in gloom and the shadow of death.

Prayers and Intercessions

God has raised Mary the mother of Christ above every created thing in heaven and earth. We pray to him:

– In the name of the Mother of your Son, hear our prayers.

Compassionate Father, we thank you for giving us Mary as our mother and our example.

Through her intercession, sanctify our hearts.

– In the name of the Mother of your Son, hear our prayers.

You made Mary your faithful servant obedient to your word.

Through her intercession, give us the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

– In the name of the Mother of your Son, hear our prayers.

You gave Mary strength as she stood by the Cross; at your Son’s resurrection you filled her with joy.

Through her intercession free us from tribulation and make us strong in hope.

– In the name of the Mother of your Son, hear our prayers.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

O God, you are the source of our salvation.

May we proclaim your glory all our lives,

and even in heaven may we never cease to praise you.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 16:9-15

The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones. (Luke 16:10).

If we read these words in the context of today’s whole Gospel passage, we can see that Jesus considers money to be a “very small matter.” We may find that difficult to swallow. What about those of us who struggle every day to make ends meet? Does this mean that Jesus is telling us to stop working on our financial situation? That may be okay for someone like St. Francis of Assisi, but those of us who have to earn a living need to take a more aggressive approach!

Actually, Jesus does want to speak these words to everyone. He isn’t suggesting that we all take a vow of poverty, but he does want us to take a close look at our perspective on money. He wants us to see that in itself, money is neither “the root of all evils” nor a trivial matter to be ignored. Rather, Jesus is telling us that money is simply secondary when compared to our essential purpose, which is to know God through his Son Jesus, and to start living the life of heaven right now.

In a practical sense, this means that money does fit into the bigger picture of Christian living. As with anything else that God gives us, money is something we can use as a means to a greater end. By being careful in our spending and saving habits, we can use money as a tool to glorify the Lord. We are more free to donate to organizations that build his kingdom. At the same time, by guarding against the temptation to value money too much, we don’t let it become a snare that can draw us away from Jesus.

If you’re currently facing financial hardship, know that Jesus is with you and wants to help guide you and ease your anxieties. Think of the many ways he has cared for you in the past. Picture him on the cross, and recall his unending love for you. Know that he will never forsake you. Let his peace fill your heart, and don’t worry about tomorrow—he has it under control!

“Lord, help me to manage my finances wisely. I welcome you into this area of my life. Set me free from anxiety about my future, and make me a cheerful giver to those in need.”

Romans 16:3-9,16,22-27; Psalm 145:2-5,10-11

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted here.

Psalm 121 (122) Jerusalem, the holy city

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

They filled me with joy when they said,

“We will go to the house of the Lord.”

Now our feet are standing

within your gates, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, built as a city,

whole and self-contained:

there the tribes have gone up,

the tribes of the Lord –

the witness of Israel,

to praise the Lord’s name.

For there are the thrones of justice,

the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

“Safety for those who care for you,

peace inside your walls,

security within your ramparts!”

For my brethren and those near to me I will say

“Peace be upon you.”

For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,

I will call blessings upon you.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Psalm 129 (130) Out of the depths

From the dawn watch until night, my soul hopes in the Lord.

Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord:

Lord, hear my voice.

Let your ears listen out

for the voice of my pleading.

If you took notice of our transgressions, Lord –

Lord, who would be left?

But with you is forgiveness,

and for this we revere you.

I rely on you, Lord,

my spirit relies on your promise;

my soul hopes in the Lord,

more than the watchman for daybreak.

More than the watchman for daybreak,

let Israel hope in the Lord:

for with the Lord there is kindness

and abundant redemption.

He himself will redeem Israel

from all its transgressions.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

From the dawn watch until night, my soul hopes in the Lord.

Canticle	Philippians 2

Christ, God's servant

At the name of Jesus every knee will bend. Alleluia.

Jesus Christ, although he shared God’s nature,

did not try to seize equality with God for himself;

but emptied himself, took on the form of a slave,

and became like a man:

not in appearance only,

for he humbled himself by accepting death,

even death on a cross.

For this, God has raised him high,

and given him the name that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bend,

in heaven, on earth, and under the earth,

and every tongue will proclaim

“Jesus Christ is Lord,”

to the glory of God the Father.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

At the name of Jesus every knee will bend. Alleluia.

Short reading	2 Peter 1:19-21 ©

We have confirmation of what was said in prophecies; and you will be right to depend on prophecy and take it as a lamp for lighting a way through the dark until the dawn comes and the morning star rises in your minds. At the same time, we must be most careful to remember that the interpretation of scriptural prophecy is never a matter for the individual. Why? Because no prophecy ever came from man’s initiative. When men spoke for God it was the Holy Spirit that moved them.

Short Responsory

From the rising of the sun to its setting, great is the name of the Lord.

– From the rising of the sun to its setting, great is the name of the Lord.

The glory of the Lord is high above the heavens.

– From the rising of the sun to its setting, great is the name of the Lord.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– From the rising of the sun to its setting, great is the name of the Lord.

Canticle	Magnificat

My soul rejoices in the Lord

Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and watched a poor widow come and put in two small coins: all that she had, for the Lord.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation.

For he has shown me such favour –

me, his lowly handmaiden.

Now all generations will call me blessed,

because the mighty one has done great things for me.

His name is holy,

his mercy lasts for generation after generation

for those who revere him.

He has put forth his strength:

he has scattered the proud and conceited,

torn princes from their thrones;

but lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things;

the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,

he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and watched a poor widow come and put in two small coins: all that she had, for the Lord.

Prayers and Intercessions

Let us address our prayers to Christ, the joy of all who hope in him:

– Look down on us, Lord, and hear us.

You are the faithful witness to God’s grace and the first-born from the dead. With your blood you have washed us clean of our sins.

Make us mindful of the wonderful things you have done for us.

– Look down on us, Lord, and hear us.

You have raised up heralds to proclaim your Gospel:

may they eagerly and faithfully teach the mysteries of your kingdom.

– Look down on us, Lord, and hear us.

King of peace, send your spirit upon those who rule,

so that they take special care for the poor and destitute.

– Look down on us, Lord, and hear us.

Counsel those who suffer discrimination for their race, colour, status, speech or religion,

that they may win recognition of their rights and dignity.

– Look down on us, Lord, and hear us.

Give all who have died a share in your blessedness,

with the blessed Virgin Mary and all your saints.

– Look down on us, Lord, and hear us.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Almighty and ever-living God, remove the obstacles that stand in our way,

so that unimpeded in body and soul

we may freely devote ourselves to your service.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God for ever and ever.

Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

Regnum Christi

The Choice Between God and Mammon

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Saturday, 31st week, OT

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."

Introductory Prayer:Father in heaven, I come to you today to praise and worship you. In my faith, I reach out to you, knowing that you love me and are leading me to heaven. I trust in your mercy and boundless love.

Petition:Lord, help me to break the disordered attachments in my life.

1. Earning Trust Parents know well what this means! Discovering that your teenage child’s story about being at a friend’s house studying was just that — a story — makes for a very unpleasant realization. Trust has been broken. After the “grounding” takes effect, the speech is then delivered: “Here’s what you do if you want to earn back our trust…” Certainly the family car won’t be lent out again until progress in the small things has been seen. That’s the message Jesus has for us today. Our sins are like the trust-breakers of the teenage kid. They show we aren’t ready for God’s greatest gifts, so we have to start with the small things. Each grace we respond to opens the door to receiving another grace. If we are trustworthy in very small matters, we can be trusted with the greater. Following through on the everyday graces will someday lead to the grace of graces: the Beatific Vision.

2. God and/or Mammon Part of earning trust with God is getting our priorities straight. Taking a God-AND-mammon approach to life is similar to trying to say the rosary while watching television. The Hail Mary’s may come out, but they do so with as much reflection as is put into breathing. We simply can’t have our cake and eat it too. Foolishly entertaining any bad habits (our personal version of mammon) that erode our commitment shows God that we are not spiritually mature enough to be fully trusted. On the other hand, when we take a determined step to break these attachments, we make a big step forward. God must come first!

3. Human Eyes See Only Part of the Story Naturally, this effort to live a God-centered life is going to generate mixed reactions. The Pharisees scorn Jesus for this: To them, he seems totally naïve about money. Like them, if we see things only from a merely human perspective, big chunks of reality elude us. Jesus is the one who has the complete picture. We can trust him completely to lead us in the right direction. We won’t need to hedge our bets with human props for our sense of security.

Conversation with Christ:Lord Jesus, thank you for helping me to realize that your grace is more important than anything I could ever have in this world. Break the hold of mammon in my life so that I might serve you with greater purity of intention.

Resolution:I will make that sacrificial donation to charity that I have been putting off

Luke
	English: Darby Version	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 16
9.	And I say to you, Make to yourselves friends with the mammon of unrighteousness, that when it fails ye may be received into the eternal tabernacles.	Et ego vobis dico : facite vobis amicos de mammona iniquitatis : ut, cum defeceritis, recipiant vos in æterna tabernacula.	καγω υμιν λεγω ποιησατε εαυτοις φιλους εκ του μαμωνα της αδικιας ινα οταν εκλιπητε δεξωνται υμας εις τας αιωνιους σκηνας
10.	He that is faithful in the least is faithful also in much; and he that is unrighteous in the least is unrighteous also in much.	Qui fidelis est in minimo, et in majori fidelis est : et qui in modico iniquus est, et in majori iniquus est.	ο πιστος εν ελαχιστω και εν πολλω πιστος εστιν και ο εν ελαχιστω αδικος και εν πολλω αδικος εστιν
11.	If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who shall entrust to you the true?	Si ergo in iniquo mammona fideles non fuistis quod verum est, quis credet vobis ?	ει ουν εν τω αδικω μαμωνα πιστοι ουκ εγενεσθε το αληθινον τις υμιν πιστευσει
12.	and if ye have not been faithful in that which is another's, who shall give to you your own?	Et si in alieno fideles non fuistis, quod vestrum est, quis dabit vobis ?	και ει εν τω αλλοτριω πιστοι ουκ εγενεσθε το υμετερον τις υμιν δωσει
13.	No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and will love the other, or he will cleave to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.	Nemo servus potest duobus dominis servire : aut enim unum odiet, et alterum diliget : aut uni adhærebit, et alterum contemnet. Non potestis Deo servire et mammonæ.	ουδεις οικετης δυναται δυσιν κυριοις δουλευειν η γαρ τον ενα μισησει και τον ετερον αγαπησει η ενος ανθεξεται και του ετερου καταφρονησει ου δυνασθε θεω δουλευειν και μαμωνα
14.	And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and mocked him.	Audiebant autem omnia hæc pharisæi, qui erant avari : et deridebant illum.	ηκουον δε ταυτα παντα και οι φαρισαιοι φιλαργυροι υπαρχοντες και εξεμυκτηριζον αυτον
15.	And he said to them, Ye are they who justify themselves before men, but God knows your hearts; for what amongst men is highly thought of is an abomination before God.	Et ait illis : Vos estis qui justificatis vos coram hominibus : Deus autem novit corda vestra : quia quod hominibus altum est, abominatio est ante Deum.	και ειπεν αυτοις υμεις εστε οι δικαιουντες εαυτους ενωπιον των ανθρωπων ο δε θεος γινωσκει τας καρδιας υμων οτι το εν ανθρωποις υψηλον βδελυγμα ενωπιον του θεου

9. And I say to you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
10. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
11. If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12. And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
13. No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

AUG. The steward whom his Lord cast out of his stewardship is nevertheless commended because he provided himself against the future. As it follows, And the Lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely; we ought not however to take the whole for our imitation. For we should never act deceitfully against our Lord in order that from the fraud itself we may give alms.

ORIGEN; But because the Gentiles say that wisdom is a virtue, and define it to be the experience of w hat is good, evil, and indifferent, or the knowledge of what is and what is not to be done, we must consider whether this word signifies many things, or one. For it is said that God by wisdom prepared the heavens. Now it is plain that wisdom is good, because the Lord by wisdom prepared the heavens. It is said also in Genesis, according to the LXX, that the serpent was the wisest animal, wherein he does not make wisdom a virtue, but evil-minded cunning. And it is in this sense that the Lord commended the steward that he had done wisely, that is, cunningly and evilly. And perhaps the word commended was spoken not in the sense of real commendation, but in a lower sense; as when we speak of a man being commended in slight and indifferent matters, and in a certain measure clashings and sharpness of wit are admired, by which the power of the mind is drawn out.

AUG. On the other hand this parable is spoken that we should understand that if the steward who acted deceitfully, could be praised by his lord, how much more they please God who do their works according to His commandment.

ORIGEN; The children of this world also are not called wiser but more prudent than the children of light, and this not absolutely and simply, but in their generation. For it follows, For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light, &c.

BEDE; The children of light and the children of this world are spoken of in the same manner as the children of the kingdom, and the children of hell. For whatever works a man does, he is also termed their sun.

THEOPHYL. By the children of this world then He means those who mind the good things which are on the earth; by the children of light, those who beholding the divine love, employ themselves with spiritual treasures. But it is found indeed in the management of human affairs, that we prudently order our own things, and busily set ourselves to work, in order that when we depart we may have a refuge for our life; but when we ought to direct the things of God, we take no forethought for what shall be our lot hereafter.

GREG. In order then that after death they may find something in their own hand, let men before death place their riches in the hands of the poor. Hence it follows, And I say to you, d/lake to yourselves friends of the man of unrighteousness, &c.

AUG. That which the Hebrews call mammon, in Latin is "riches." As if He said, "Make to yourselves friends of the riches of unrighteousness." Now some misunderstanding this, seize upon the things of others, and so give something to the poor, and think that they are doing what is commanded. That interpretation must be corrected into, Give alms of your righteous labors. For you will not corrupt Christ your Judge. If from the plunder of a poor man, you were to give any thing to the judge that he might decide for you, and that judge should decide for you, such is the force of justice, that you would be ill pleased in yourself. Do not then make to yourself such a God. God is the fountain of Justice, give not your alms then from interest and usury. I speak to the faithful, to whom we dispense the body of Christ. But if you have such money, it is of evil that you have it. Be no longer doers of evil. Zaccheus said, Half my goods I give to the poor. See how he runs who runs to make friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; and not to be held guilty from any quarter, he says, If have taken any thing from any one, I restore fourfold. According to another interpretation, the mammon of unrighteousness are all the riches of the world, whenever they come. For if you seek the true riches, there are some in which Job when naked abounded, when he had his hears full towards God. The others are called riches from unrighteousness; because they are not true riches, for they are full of poverty, and ever liable to chances. For if they were true riches, they would give you security.

AUG. Or the riches of unrighteousness are so called, because they are not riches except to the unrighteous, and such as rest in their hopes and the fullness of their happiness. But when these things are possessed by the righteous, they have indeed so much money, but no riches are theirs but heavenly and spiritual.

AMBROSE. Or he spoke of the unrighteous Mammon, because by the various enticements of riches covetousness corrupts our hearts, that we may be willing to obey riches.

BASIL; Or if you have succeeded to a patrimony, you receive what has been amassed by the unrighteous; for in a number of predecessors some one must needs be found who has unjustly usurped the property of others. But suppose that your father has not been guilty of exaction, whence have you your money? If indeed you answer, "From myself;" you are ignorant of God, not having the knowledge of your Creator; but if, "From God," tell me the reason for which you receive it. Is not the earth and the fullness thereof the Lord's? If then whatever is ours belongs to our common Lord, so will it also belong to our fellow-servant.

THEOPHYL. Those then are called the riches of unrighteousness which the Lord has given for the necessities of our brethren and fellow-servants, but we spend upon ourselves. It became us then, from the beginning, to give all things to the poor, but because we have become the stewards of unrighteousness, wickedly retaining what was appointed for the aid of others, we must not surely remain in this cruelty, but distribute to the poor, that we may be received by them into everlasting habitations. For it follows, That, when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

GREG. But if through their friendship we obtain everlasting habitations, we ought to calculate that when we give we rather offer presents to patrons, than bestow benefits upon he needy.

AUG. For who are they that shall have everlasting habitations but the saints of God? and who are they that are to be received by them into everlasting habitations but they who administer to their want, and whatsoever they have need of, gladly supply. They are those little ones of Christ, who have forsaken all that belonged to them and followed Him; and whatsoever they had have given to the poor, that they might serve God without earthly shackles, and freeing their shoulders from the burdens of the world, might raise them aloft as with wings.

AUG. We must not then understand those by whom we wish to be received into everlasting habitations to be as it were debtors of God; seeing that the just and holy are signified in this place, who cause those to enter in, who administered to their necessity of their own worldly goods.

AMBROSE; Or else, make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that by giving to the poor we may purchase the favor of angels and all the saints.

CHRYS. Mark also that He said not, "that they may receive you into their own habitations." For it is not they who receive you. Therefore when He said, Make to yourselves friends, he added, of the mammon of unrighteousness, to show, that their friendship will not alone protect us unless good works accompany us, unless we righteously cast away all riches unrighteously amassed. The most skillful then of all arts is that of almsgiving. For it builds not for us houses of mud, but lays up in store an everlasting life. Now in each of the arts one needs the support of another; but when we ought to show mercy, we need nothing else but the will alone.

CYRIL; Thus then Christ taught those who abound in riches, earnestly to love the friendship of the poor, and to have treasure in heaven. But He knew the sloth of the human mind, how that they who court riches bestow no work of charity upon the needy. That to such men there results no profit of spiritual gifts, He shows by obvious examples, adding, He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Now our Lord opens to us the eye of the heart, explaining what He had said, adding, If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteousness mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? That which is least then is the mammon of unrighteousness, that is, earthly riches, which seem nothing to those that are heavenly wise. I think then that a man is faithful in a little, when he imparts aid to those who are bowed down with sorrow. If then we have been unfaithful in a little thing, how shall we obtain from hence the true riches, that is, the fruitful gift of Divine grace, impressing the image of God on the human soul?

But that our Lord's words incline to this meaning is plain from the following; for He says, And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man's who shall give you that which is your own?

AMBROSE; Riches are foreign to us, because they are something beyond nature, they are not born with us, and they do not pass away with us. But Christ is ours, because He is the life of man. Lastly, He came to His own.

THEOPHYL. Thus then hitherto He has taught us how faithfully we ought to dispose of our wealth. But because the management of our wealth according to God is no otherwise obtained than by the indifference of a mind unaffected towards riches, He adds, No man can serve two masters.

AMBROSE; Not because the Lord is two, but one. For although there are who serve mammon, yet he knows no rights of lordship; but has himself placed upon himself a yoke of servitude. There is one Lord, because there is one God. Hence it is evident, that the power of the Father and the Son is one and He assigns a reason, thus saying, For either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.

AUG. But these things were not spoken indifferently or at random. For no one when asked whether he loves the devil, answers that he loves him, but rather that he hates him; but all generally proclaim that they love God. Therefore either he will hate the one, (that is, the devil,) and love the other, (that is, God;) or will hold to the one, (that is, the devil, when he pursues as it were temporal wants,) and will despise the other, (that is, God,) as when men frequently neglect His threats for their desires, who because of His goodness flatter themselves that they will have impunity.

CYRIL; But the conclusion of the whole discourse is what follows, You cannot serve God and man. Let us then transfer all our devotions to the one, forsaking riches.

BEDE; Let then the covetous hear this, that we can not at the same time serve Christ and riches; and yet He said not, "Who has riches," but, who serves riches; for he who is the servant of riches, watches them as a servant; but he who has shaken off the yoke of servitude, dispenses them as a master; but he who serves mammon, verily serves him who is set over those earthly things as the reward of his iniquity, and is called the prince of this world.

14. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
15. And he said to them, you are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

BEDE; Christ had told the Pharisees not to boast of their own righteousness, but to receive penitent sinners, and to redeem their sins by almsgiving. But they derided the Preacher of mercy, humility, and frugality; as it is said, And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard these things; and derided him: it may be for two reasons, either because He commanded what was not sufficiently profitable, or cast blame upon their past superfluous actions.

THEOPHYL. But the Lord detecting in them a hidden malice, proves that they make a presence of righteousness. Therefore it is added, And he said to them, you are they which justify yourselves before men.

BEDE; They justify themselves before men who despise sinners as in a weak and hopeless condition, but fancy themselves to be perfect and not to need the remedy of almsgiving; but how justly the depth of deadly pride is to be condemned, He sees who will enlighten the hidden places of darkness. Hence it follows, But God knows your hearts.

THEOPHYL. And therefore you are an abomination to Him because of your arrogance, and love of seeking after the praise of men; as He adds, For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Catena Aurea Luke 16

Pact of Judas

Duccio di Buoninsegna

1308-11
Tempera on wood, 50 x 53 cm
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena

The six comments from Augustin to “THEOPHYL. By the children of this world then He means...” refer to the previous several verses, sorry. Commentary to verse 9 and on begins with “GREG. In order then that after death they may find something in their own hand...”

One Bread, One Body

<< Saturday, November 7, 2009 >>

Saint of the Day

Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27
View Readings

Psalm 145:2-5, 10-11

Luke 16:9-15

TRUSTEES

"If you can trust a man in little things, you can also trust him in greater." —Luke 16:10

Have you ever tried to minister to someone who has lost trust in God because they're disillusioned by the unfaithfulness of other Christians? It's hard for people to trust again once their initial trust is violated. Thus Scripture says: "the first requirement of an administrator is that he prove trustworthy" (1 Cor 4:2).

The Lord has "entrusted" us (Mt 25:22) with great responsibilities (see Mt 25:21, RNAB). We disciples of Christ have the responsibility to "make disciples of all the nations" (Mt 28:19), feed the hungry (Mt 25:42), set captives free (Lk 4:18), overturn injustices such as abortion, racism, and physical and spiritual starvation (Jn 21:15). By our holy lives we are to set such a public example that we could be a light to the world (Mt 5:14-16).

We disciples imitate Jesus, Who is trustworthy (1 Thes 5:24). When we trust completely in God, our trusting and trustworthy lifestyle is obvious to others, and they are more likely to trust us. If we don't trust completely in God in a radical way, then why should we expect others to trust us when we minister to them? If we don't trust God in how many children we have, in our finances, in our sexuality, and in our lifestyle, then why should we be surprised when others find it difficult to trust us?

Many fail to believe in our Master because we, His disciples, don't reflect His trustworthiness. Repent! "Trust in the Lord with all your heart" (Prv 3:5) or be ranked "among those undeserving of trust" (Lk 12:46).

Prayer: Jesus, as Your ambassador to the world (2 Cor 5:20), may I live a life worthy of this calling (Col 1:10).

Promise: "What man thinks important, God holds in contempt."—Lk 16:15

Praise: George was such a faithful Christian that six converts asked him to be their godfather.

Compline -- Night Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer)

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited.

Hymn

Now that the daylight dies away,

By all thy grace and love,

Thee, Maker of the world, we pray

To watch our bed above.

Let dreams depart and phantoms fly,

The offspring of the night,

Keep us, like shrines, beneath thine eye,

Pure in our foe’s despite.

This grace on thy redeemed confer,

Father, co-equal Son,

And Holy Ghost, the Comforter,

Eternal Three in One.

Psalm 4 Thanksgiving

Take pity on me, Lord, and listen to my prayer.

When I called out, he heard me, the God of my righteousness.

When I was in trouble, you gave me freedom:

now, take pity on me and listen to my prayer.

Sons of men, how long will your hearts be heavy?

Why do you seek for vain things?

Why do you run after illusions?

Know that the Lord has done marvellous things

for those he has chosen.

When I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.

Be vigorous, but do not sin:

speak in the silence of your heart,

in your bed, be at rest.

Offer righteousness as a sacrifice,

and put your trust in the Lord.

Many are saying, Who will give us good things?

Let your face shine on us, Lord,

let the light of your face be a sign.

You have given me a greater joy

than the others receive

from abundance of wheat and of wine.

In peace shall I sleep, Lord, in peace shall I rest:

firm in the hope you have given me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Take pity on me, Lord, and listen to my prayer.

Psalm 133 (134) Evening prayer in the Temple

Bless the Lord through the night.

Come, bless the Lord,

all you servants of the Lord

who stand through the night in the house of the Lord!

Lift up your arms to the sanctuary

and bless the Lord!

May the Lord bless you from Zion –

the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Bless the Lord through the night.

Reading	Deuteronomy 6:4-7 ©

Listen, Israel: the Lord our God is the one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. Let these words I urge on you today be written on your heart. You shall repeat them to your children and say them over to them whether at rest in your house or walking abroad, at your lying down or at your rising.

Short Responsory

Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness.

– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

Canticle	Nunc Dimittis

Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace.

You have fulfilled your promise.

My own eyes have seen your salvation,

which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples.

A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness;

the glory of your people Israel.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

Let us pray.

Come to us, Lord, this night, and give us the strength to rise at dawn rejoicing in the resurrection of your Anointed, who lives and reigns for ever and ever, Amen.

May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.

A M E N

	Salve Regina

Hail to you, O Queen, mother of loving kindness,

our life, our happiness, our hope.

Hear us cry out to you,

children of Eve in our exile.

Hear as we sigh, with groaning and weeping

in this life, this valley of tears.

Come then, our Advocate, turn towards us

the gaze of your kind and loving eyes.

And show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb,

when at last our exile here is ended.

November Devotion: The Holy Souls in Purgatory

Mass Readings

Office of Readings

Daily Readings for: November 07, 2009(Readings on USCCB website)

ACTIVITIES

PRAYERS

Saturday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

A M E N

Meditation: Luke 16:9-15

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

A M E N

One Bread, One Body

TRUSTEES

Compline (Night Prayer)

A M E N

Daily Readings for: November 07, 2009
(Readings on USCCB website)