Daily Reading for Friday, November 8th, 2024

Reading 1, Philippians 3:17--4:1

17               Brothers, be united in imitating me. Keep your eyes fixed on those who act according to the example you have from me.

18               For there are so many people of whom I have often warned you, and now I warn you again with tears in my eyes, who behave like the enemies of Christ's cross.

19               They are destined to be lost; their god is the stomach; they glory in what they should think shameful, since their minds are set on earthly things.

20               But our homeland is in heaven and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,

21               who will transfigure the wretched body of ours into the mould of his glorious body, through the working of the power which he has, even to bring all things under his mastery.

1 So then, my brothers and dear friends whom I miss so much, my joy and my crown, hold firm in the Lord, dear friends.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5

1  [Song of Ascents Of David] I rejoiced that they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of Yahweh.'

2  At last our feet are standing at your gates, Jerusalem!

3  Jerusalem, built as a city, in one united whole,

4  there the tribes go up, the tribes of Yahweh, a sign for Israel to give thanks to the name of Yahweh.

5  For there are set the thrones of judgement, the thrones of the house of David.

Gospel, Luke 16:1-8

1                   He also said to his disciples, 'There was a rich man and he had a steward who was denounced to him for being wasteful with his property.

2                   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."

3                   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.

4                   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."

5                   'Then he called his master's debtors one by one. To the first he said, "How much do you owe my master?"

6                   "One hundred measures of oil," he said. The steward said, "Here, take your bond; sit down and quickly write fifty."

7                   To another he said, "And you, sir, how much do you owe?" "One hundred measures of wheat," he said. The steward said, "Here, take your bond and write eighty."

8                   '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.'

Questions for Reflection for November 8, 2024

1.      In our first reading, from the Letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, he continues to instruct the early believers to, in his words "press on to the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”. In fact, those are his words a few verses before the excerpt we heard today.

 One of the challenges he faced in helping the early believers grow in Christian maturity was a group, often called the "the Judaizes" who insisted that the early Christians keep the dietary laws of the Old Covenant and be circumcised. He sees them as fixed on earthly things and not understanding that our citizenship is in heaven. 

How do we approach living our daily lives as Christians? Do we understand that our citizenship is in heaven? Do we live differently, in every area of our daily lives because of it? Or do we see our faith as more outward observance than inward conversion and an entirely new way of life?

2.      In our Psalm Response we can hear the joy of the Prophet and Psalmist David as he looked forward to going to the House of the Lord and worshipping. How do we view going to Holy Mass on Sunday and Holy Days? Do we choose to go to Mass as often as we can? Do we view attending Holy Mass or visiting the Church for adoration as just as an obligation? Or do we look forward to it with joy?

 If we do not rejoice at the thought of going to the House of the Lord, it is time to examine ourselves and ask the Lord to help us recognize more deeply what a privilege it is.

3.      Our Gospel passage is a continuation of the teaching of Jesus concerning the kingdom of God. In the parable of the dishonest steward, (Luke 16:1-13), Jesus makes it all so clear. He uses the industriousness of this dishonest steward to challenge us, to remind all of us that "the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light."

We are the children of light. How are we living our own lives? Are we allowing the light of truth to shine into every area of those lives? Do we believe that the Christian faith is to inform every aspect of how we live, or have we set apart certain areas which are outside of the reach of the saving truth of the Gospel? We need to hear these words from Jesus with humility and honesty - and allow them to root themselves deep within us, so that they lead each one of us to a change in lifestyle. They come from the next few verses in this same chapter of the Gospel of St Luke:

"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 both God and mammon."