Contemplating today's Gospel
Today's Gospel + homily (in 300 words)
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.
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.
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.
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.”
"The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones"
Fr. Joaquim FORTUNY i Vizcarro (Cunit, Tarragona, Spain)Today Jesus speaks again with authority: He uses the phrase "I tell you," which has a unique power, of a new doctrine. God “wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth" (cf. 1 Tim 2:4). He wants us to be holy and today he points out some necessary points for us to attain holiness and be in possession of "the truth": faithfulness in small things, authenticity, and never losing sight of the fact that God knows our hearts.
Faithfulness in small things is within our reach. Our days are usually shaped by what we call "normalcy": the same job, the same people, certain devotional practices, the same family...It is in these ordinary realities that we must fulfill ourselves as people and grow in holiness. "The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones" (Lk 16:10). It is necessary to do all things well, with a right intention, with the desire to please God, our Father; doing things out of love has great value and prepares us to receive "the truth." How beautifully Saint Josemaría expressed it! "Have you seen how that imposing building was built? One brick upon another. Thousands. But, one by one. And bags of cement, one by one. And blocks of stone, each of them insignificant compared with the massive whole. And beams of steel. And men working, the same hours, day after day…Have you seen how that imposing building was built?… By dint of little things!”
Examining our conscience well each night will help us to live with rectitude of intention and never lose sight of the fact that God sees everything, even the most hidden thoughts, as we learned in catechism, and that the important thing is to please God in everything, our Father, whom we must serve out of love, keeping in mind that "No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other." (Lk 16:13). Let us never forget: "Only God is God" (Benedict XVI).
Thoughts on Today's Gospel
"Pay much attention to small things" (Saint Pedro Poveda)
"Like any technical instrument, money does not have a neutral value, but acquires value based on the aims and circumstances in which it is used." (Francis)
"A theory that makes profit the exclusive norm and ultimate end of economic activity is morally unacceptable. The disordered desire for money cannot but produce perverse effects. It is one of the causes of the many conflicts which disturb the social order. A system that "subordinates the basic rights of individuals and of groups to the collective organization of production" is contrary to human dignity. Every practice that reduces persons to nothing more than a means of profit enslaves man, leads to idolizing money, and contributes to the spread of atheism. "You cannot serve God and mammon" (Lk 16,13).” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n 2424)
