(Optional Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
On Saturdays in Ordinary Time
when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed
Virgin Mary is allowed. [1]
Mass texts may be taken from the Common
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from a Votive
Mass, or from the special collection of Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary.
 |
| “The Worship of Mammon” by Evelyn de Morgan, c. 1900 |
Reading 1: Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27
Brothers and sisters:
Greet Prisca and Aquila , my co-workers in Christ Jesus,
who risked their necks for my
life,
to whom not only I am
grateful but also all the churches of the Gentiles;
greet also the Church at
their house.
Greet my beloved Epaenetus,
who was the firstfruits in Asia for Christ.
Greet Mary, who has worked
hard for you.
Greet Andronicus and Junia,
my relatives and my fellow
prisoners;
they are prominent among the
Apostles
and they were in Christ
before me.
Greet Ampliatus, my beloved
in the Lord.
Greet Urbanus, our co-worker
in Christ,
and my beloved Stachys.
Greet one another with a holy
kiss.
All the churches of Christ
greet you.
I, Tertius, the writer of
this letter, greet you in the Lord.
Gaius, who is host to me and
to the whole Church, greets you.
Erastus, the city treasurer,
and our brother Quartus greet
you.
Now to him who can strengthen
you,
according to my Gospel and
the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation
of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through
the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of
the eternal God,
made known to all nations to
bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through
Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever.
Amen.
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Commentary on Rom
16:3-9, 16, 22-27
This selection
from the last chapter of St. Paul Ephesus as opposed to Rome St. Paul
The selection
concludes with a doxology or short hymn to the Lord that concludes the letter
(both the selection and the whole letter to the Romans) in praise of Christ
Jesus.
CCC: Rom
16:25-27 2641; Rom
16:26 143, 1204, 2087
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
145:2-3, 4-5, 10-11
R. (1b) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name
forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly
to be praised;
his greatness is
unsearchable.
R. I will praise your name
for ever, Lord.
Generation after generation
praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of
your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous
works.
R. I will praise your name
for ever, Lord.
Let all your works give you
thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones
bless you.
Let them discourse of the
glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name
for ever, Lord.
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Commentary on Ps
145:2-3, 4-5, 10-11
Psalm 145 is a
hymn of praise. This singer, in these
strophes, pours out his heart to God whose greatness is unknowable and who,
through his creation, has demonstrated majesty beyond any human undertaking.
CCC: Ps
145:3 300
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Gospel: 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.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk 16:9-15
This passage contains the
conclusions or morals of the parable of the dishonest steward. “Dishonest
wealth: literally, 'mammon of iniquity.' Mammon is the Greek
transliteration of a Hebrew or Aramaic word that is usually explained as
meaning "that in which one trusts." The characterization of this
wealth as dishonest expresses a tendency of wealth to lead one to dishonesty.
Eternal dwellings: or, "eternal tents," i.e., heaven as opposed to
the teachings.”[5]
“The lesson taught to the
disciples in the second and third moralizations of that story are, first the
need to be faithful to positions of responsibility and finally the inability of
a person to serve two masters. “'Abomination': the original Greek
work means worship of idols, and, by derivation, the horror this provoked in a
true worshiper of God. So the expression 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.”[6]
CCC: Lk
16:13 2424
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Reflection:
The story in the parable of
the dishonest steward, for which today’s Gospel was the conclusion, demonstrates
that caution must be exercised when dealing with those in the secular world,
especially in matters of material wealth. (The implication is that we should
not have to worry about shrewd dealings and duplicity when dealing within the
community of faith.)
A second lesson conveyed by
the parable is that trust is a matter of character (and should be the hallmark
of Christian character). If a person is trustworthy, they may be trusted in
large or small matters, temptation will not dissuade them from their honest and
faithful trust. If, on the other hand, a person is not trustworthy even small
trusts will be violated.
A final lesson summarizes our
understanding of this passage today. One may not serve two masters, God and
wealth. If our prize is eternal life then our eyes must be fixed firmly on God.
Yes, we use the gifts he has given us to make our way in the world. We also
make sure that our brothers and sisters are helped along the way. But our
efforts are for God’s glory not for the sake of accumulating wealth. Wealth is
its own prize and the rewards end with this life.
That final lesson, we cannot
serve two masters, is often difficult for those of us who live in the secular
world. We need to make a living to
support ourselves and our families and frequently the demands of the work place
can challenge and stain the Christian ideal that all we do must be done for
God’s greater glory.
There is an even more
treacherous temptation as a result of the pressure to provide well for the
family. Not only can we become so
focused on the material success, but we are also tempted to cut corners so we
can complete our assigned tasks more quickly; or find alternate, less honest
ways of bringing financial security.
Sometimes the hardest thing
we do as disciples is take the time to do our jobs well, even at the expense of
time we know we should be spending on pursuits that would build us up
spiritually or be better for our family relationships.
We have a good reminder of a
very practical aspect of Christian values today. Let us pray that our efforts
reveal God’s glory and our own wealth help those in need. Let us remember that
in all things we are children of the light and greed has no place with us.
Pax
[1]
General
Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar Miscellaneous Notes no. 5
[3]
The picture is “The Worship of Mammon” by Evelyn de Morgan, c. 1900
[4]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the
Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and
is for private use only.
[5]
See NAB footnote on Luke 16:9
[6]
“Gospel and Acts” The Navarre Bible, Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin , Ireland
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