We’re going on the second year of the pandemic as I write this. Everyone, in one way or another, has experienced struggle, pain, challenges, and heartaches due to lack, sickness, anxiety, and even death. I never imagined I would live to see what I only read in books about pandemics.

There are days when I feel low and have to fight it off by strengthening my faith. I read and reflect on the Word of God and attend daily online Masses. This keeps me grounded and connected to the Source.

I continued to serve in the Light of Jesus Family through the online Feasts, and I’m amazed at people’s generosity. They continue to give tithes and love offerings for the mission despite the uncertainties of our situation. They taught me that everything we have comes from God, who is the Master of all we own. Our possessions are at His disposal. Since our wealth comes from Him, we ought to use them for building His Kingdom. Rosalie de Silva (rosalie.desilva@yahoo.com)

reflect

How do you use your money to serve God?

Dear God, help me to serve You wholeheartedly with everything I have.

St. Joseph of Cupertino, pray for us.

First Reading | Amos 8:4-7

The prophets condemn the rich who fail to care for and exploit the poor due to their weakness and inability to fight back. Are we guilty of this? Let us pray for the grace to assist and serve the poor and help them rise from poverty to a better life. Let us live simply so others may simply live.

⁴ Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land! ⁵ “When will the new moon be over,” you ask, “that we may sell our grain, and the sabbath, that we may display the wheat? We will diminish the ephah, add to the shekel, and fix our scales for cheating! ⁶ We will buy the lowly for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals; even the refuse of the wheat we will sell!” ⁷ The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Never will I forget a thing they have done!

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8

R: Praise the Lord, who lifts up the poor.

¹ Praise, you servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. ² Blessed be the name of the Lord both now and forever. (R) ⁴ High above all nations is the Lord; above the heavens is his glory. ⁵ Who is like the Lord, our God, who is enthroned on high ⁶ and looks upon the heavens and the earth below? (R) ⁷ He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill he lifts up the poor 8 to seat them with princes, with the princes of his own people. (R)

Second Reading | 1 Timothy 2:1-8

Paul reminds us to pray for the leaders of our Church, political institutions, and economic establishments. We need leaders who have the common good at the center of their vision and policies. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case and often it is far worse—our leaders lead the way in the corruption stakes. It will go badly for them on the Day of Judgment if this is true.

¹ Beloved: First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, ² for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. ³ This is good and pleasing to God our savior, ⁴ who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as ransom for all. This was the testimony at the proper time. ⁷ For this I was appointed preacher and apostle—I am speaking the truth, I am not lying—teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. ⁸ It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.

Gospel | Luke 16:10-13 (or Luke 16:1-13)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us to make a choice between wealth and His Kingdom. This does not mean we cannot be wealthy; we need to use wealth to help the poor and needy. May those who have more in life give to those who do not have enough. This is what the second great commandment means—to love our neighbor.

Gospel Acclamation

Though our Lord Jesus Christ was rich, he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

¹⁰ Jesus said to his disciples: “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. ¹¹ If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? ¹² If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? ¹³ 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.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read JEREMIAH 43 - 46 today.

Spiritual Lukewarmness

We can get from today’s Gospel an insight into what does not constitute genuine repentance.

A steward was caught mismanaging his master’s business. The master readily issued a decree of dismissal. Fearing the loss of his job and regular source of income, the shrewd steward manipulated the record of his master’s debtors, endeared himself to them in the process, and ensured grateful allies who would look after him once he is dismissed.

Reading the Gospel, one would think that the steward acted swiftly because he wanted to correct the evil he had done. He did not regret the evil he had done nor his betrayal of his master’s trust. We later realize that he acted quickly because he wanted to escape the evil punishment that would befall him due to his actions.

Aren’t we all like the shrewd steward at times? Once caught and exposed, we “correct” our misdeeds not because we are sorry we hurt another person or sinned against a particular virtue. We undo our mistakes because we do not want to be hurt by the consequences of our actions.

This is a symptom of spiritual lukewarmness and self-preoccupation.

Evangelist Francis Chan once wrote that lukewarm Christians are people who don’t really want to be saved from their sins. They only want to be saved from the penalty of their sin. In Catholic theology, we call this imperfect contrition. It is being “sorry” for our sins for fear of punishment or loss of reward. Imperfect contrition is being afraid for breaking a law. Perfect contrition is being sorry for breaking a relationship.

Perfect contrition is true repentance. True repentance is longing to be saved from the slavery of evil actions and not only from the evil effects of our acts. Fr. Joel O. Jason

reflection question

When you go to confession, are you sorry because you broke a law or because you broke a relationship with the God who loves you?

Against You have I sinned, what is evil in Your sight I have done, O Lord.

Today, I pray for: ______________________________________________