Responsorial Psalm
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
now and forever!
The Lord is exalted over the nations,
his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
who sits enthroned on high,
but also bends down to see
on earth as in heaven?
He lifts up the poor from the dust
and the needy from the ash heap.
He makes them sit with princes,
with rulers of his people.
2nd. READING (1 Tim 2, 1-8)
My advice is that: first of all I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions and
thanksgiving be made for everyone, for rulers of states and all in authority, that we
may enjoy a quiet and peaceful life in godliness and respect. This is good and pleases
God. For he wants all to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth. As there is one
God, there is one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human,
who gave his life for the redemption of all. This is the testimony, given in its proper
time, and of this, God has made me apostle and herald. I am not lying, I am telling
the truth: He made me teacher of the nations regarding faith and truth. I want the men
in every place to lift pure hands in prayer to heaven without anger and dissension.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples, "There was a rich man whose steward was reported to him
for fraudulent service. He summoned the steward and asked him: 'What is this I hear
about you? I want you to render an account of your service for it is about to be
terminated.' The steward thought to himself: 'What am I to do now? My master will
surely dismiss me. I am not strong enough to do hard work, and I am ashamed to beg.
know what I will do: I must make sure that when I am dismissed, there will be some
people to welcome me into their house.' So he called his master's debtors one by one.
He asked the first who came: 'How much do you owe my master?' The reply was: 'A
hundred jars of oil.' The steward said: 'Here is your bill. Sit down quickly and write
there fifty.' To the second he put the same question: 'How much do you owe?' The
answer was: 'A thousand bushels of wheat.' Then he said: 'Take your bill and write
eight hundred.'
The master commended the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the people of this
world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the people of light. And
so I tell you: use filthy money to make friends for yourselves, so that when it fails,
these people may welcome you into the eternal homes. Whoever can be trusted in little
things can also be trusted in great ones; whoever is dishonest in slight matters will also
be dishonest in greater ones. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling filthy
money, who could entrust you with true wealth? And if you have not been trustworthy
with things which are not really yours, who will give you the wealth which is your
own? No servant can serve two masters. Either he does not like the one and is fond of
the other, or he regards one highly and the other with contempt. You cannot give
yourself both to God and to Money."
