Liturgical Readings for : Friday, 8th November, 2024
Friday of the Thirty-First week of Ordinary Time, Year 2
FIRST READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Philippians 3:17-4:1
We are waiting for the Saviour who will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours
into copies of his glorious body.
My brothers, be united in following my rule of life. Take as your models everybody who is already doing this and study them as you used to study us. I have told you often, and I repeat it today with tears, there are many who are behaving as the enemies of the cross of Christ.
They are destined to be lost. They make foods into their god and they are proudest of something they ought to think shameful;
the things they think important are earthly things.
For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe.
So then, my brothers and dear friends, do not give way but remain faithful in the Lord.
I miss you very much, dear friends; you are my joy and my crown.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 121
Response I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
1. I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. Response
2. Jerusalem is built as a city strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. Response
3. For Israel’s law it is, there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgement of the house of David. Response
Gospel Acclamation 2 Cor 5: 19
Alleluia, Alleluia!
God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.
Alleluia!
or I Jn 2: 5
Alleluia, Alleluia!
When anyone obeys what Christ has said, God’s love comes to perfection in him.
Alleluia !
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke 16:1-8 Glory to you, O Lord
The children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.
Jesus said to his disciples,
‘There was a rich man and he had a steward denounced to him for being wasteful with his property.
He called for the man and said,
“What is this I hear about you?
Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer. “
Then the steward said to himself,
“Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do?
Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed.
Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.”
Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said,
“How much do you owe my master?”
“One hundred measures of oil” was the reply.
The steward said,
“Here, take your bond; sit down straight away and write fifty”.
To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?”
“One hundred measures of wheat” was the reply.
The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty”.
‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness.
For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.’
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel Reflection Friday, Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time Luke 16:1–8
Sometimes the principal characters in the stories that Jesus tells leave a lot to be desired. The younger son who left home in the parable of the prodigal son comes to mind. Very often those characters who leave a lot to be desired have some redeeming feature to them. That younger son did make the journey home again, even if it was out of desperation.
Today’s gospel reading gives us another example of a story in which the principal character is anything but a paragon of virtue. He is described as a dishonest steward who was wasteful with his master’s property. Yet, he too had a redeeming feature. Perhaps Jesus is reminding us that everyone has some redeeming feature. The redeeming feature of the dishonest steward was his shrewd ability to take decisive action when his back was to the wall, so as to ensure that after he lost his job there would be people who would be well disposed towards him. Jesus’ comments on the story suggest that we have something to learn, not from his dishonesty, but from his shrewdness, from his ability to take decisive action when required.
Very often our following of the Lord requires us to take decisive action to ensure that we continue to take the path the Lord is calling us to take. There can be something we need to do or to stop doing if, in the words of today’s first reading, we are to remain faithful to the Lord.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd
