Saturday of the Thirty-first week in Ordinary Time
Letter to the Romans 16:3-9.16.22-27.
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.)

Psalms 145(144):2-3.4-5.10-11.
Every day I will bless you; I will praise your name forever.
Great is the LORD and worthy of high praise; God’s grandeur is beyond understanding.
One generation praises your deeds to the next and proclaims your mighty works.
They speak of the splendor of your majestic glory, tell of your wonderful deeds.
All your works give you thanks, O LORD and your faithful bless you.
They speak of the glory of your reign and tell of your great works,

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 16:9-15.
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 of the day : Saint Clement of Alexandria
“You cannot serve God and mammon”

Friday of the Thirty-first week in Ordinary Time
Letter to the Romans 15:14-21.
I myself am convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another.
But I have written to you rather boldly in some respects to remind you, because of the grace given me by God
to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in performing the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the holy Spirit.
In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast in what pertains to God.
For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to lead the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,
by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit (of God), so that from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum I have finished preaching the gospel of Christ.
Thus I aspire to proclaim the gospel not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on another’s foundation,
but as it is written: “Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand.”

Psalms 98:1.2-4.
Sing a new song to the LORD, who has done marvelous deeds, Whose right hand and holy arm have won the victory.
The LORD has made his victory known; has revealed his triumph for the nations to see,
Has remembered faithful love toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth; break into song; sing praise.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 16:1-8.
Then he also said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’
The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’
He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’
Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred kors of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. “For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.
Commentary of the day : Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus
The good use of riches

Thursday of the Thirty-first week in Ordinary Time

Today the Church celebrates : St. Bertilla, Abbess (7th century)

See commentary below or click here
Ludolph of Saxony : Come, seek your lost sheep

Letter to the Romans 14:7-12.

None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Why then do you judge your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” So (then) each of us shall give an account of himself (to God).

Psalms 27:1.4.13-14.

Of David The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom do I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom am I afraid?
One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek: To dwell in the LORD’S house all the days of my life, To gaze on the LORD’S beauty, to visit his temple.
But I believe I shall enjoy the LORD’S goodness in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the LORD!

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 15:1-10.

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them he addressed this parable. What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

Commentary of the day :

Ludolph of Saxony (c.1300-1378), Dominican then Carthusian at Strasbourg
Prayers to Jésus Christ, CLD

Come, seek your lost sheep

Lord Jesus Christ, to teach us the summit of virtue you ascended the mountain with your disciples and taught them the Beatitudes and highest virtues, promising them the rewards applicable to each. Grant that my weakness may hear your voice, that I may apply myself through their practice to acquire the merit of the virtues so that by your mercy I may receive the promised reward. As I consider the payment do not let me refuse the effort of the labor. Make my hope of eternal salvation sweeten the bitterness of the cure, inflaming my soul with the splendor of your work. Out of the wretched person I am, create one of the blessed; from the blessedness here below lead me through your grace to the blessedness of the homeland.

Come, Lord Jesus Christ, in search of your servant, seeking your erring and exhausted sheep. Come, Spouse of the Church, in search of your lost coin. Come, Father of mercies, welcome the prodigal son returning to you. Come, then, Lord, for you are the only one able to call back the sheep that has strayed, to find the lost drachma, to reconcile the runaway son. Cone, that there may be salvation on earth and joy in heaven! Turn me towards you and grant that I may carry out a true and perfect repentance so that I may become an occasion for joy among the angels. Sweetest Jesus, I pray you, by the immensity of your love for me, a sinner, grant that I may love you alone above all things, that I may be consoled by none but you, my sweetest God!