No Servant Can Serve Two Masters

NOVEMBER 06, 2021, SATURDAY
Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 490

Reading I
Rom 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.

Responsorial 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.

Alleluia
2 Cor 8:9

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Lk 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.”

REFLECTION:

Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much’. We immediately understand this common sense statement, but often are not willing to give small things their due importance in the formation of our heart. Small acts of selfishness, of little transparency, of not taking our prayer life seriously, do have an impact bigger than we want to admit, as do small acts of love, care and honesty.

PRAYER:

As I am here, giving time in prayer, my desire to serve God should be an encouragement to me just as it is valued by God. I pray that God may truly be the one I serve throughout this time even as I recognize how my heart is often drawn in other directions.