Friday, November 04, 2011 {St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Memorial)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY"Virtues are formed by prayer.
Prayer preserves temperance.
Prayer suppresses anger.
Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy.
Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven."
-- St Ephraem
READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Romans 15:14-21
(Paul's Reason for Writing So Boldly)
14 My friends: I myself feel sure that you are full of goodness, that you have all knowledge, and that you are able to teach one another.
15 But in this letter I have been quite bold about certain subjects of which I have reminded you. I have been bold because of the privilege God has given me
16 of being a servant of Christ Jesus to work for the Gentiles. I serve like a priest in preaching the Good News from God, in order that the Gentiles may be an offering acceptable to God, dedicated to him by the Holy Spirit.
17 In union with Christ Jesus, then, I can be proud of my service for God.
18 I will be bold and speak only about what Christ has done through me to lead the Gentiles to obey God. He has done this by means of words and deeds,
19 by the power of miracles and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. And so, in traveling all the way from Jerusalem to Illyricum, I have proclaimed fully the Good News about Christ.
20 My ambition has always been to proclaim the Good News in places where Christ has not been heard of, so as not to build on a foundation laid by someone else.
21 As the scripture says, “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”
Psalms: Psalm 98:1-4
(God the Ruler of the World)1 Sing a new song to the Lord; he has done wonderful things! By his own power and holy strength
he has won the victory. 2 The Lord announced his victory; he made his saving power known to the nations.
3 He kept his promise to the people of Israel with loyalty and constant love for them.
All people everywhere have seen the victory of our God.
4 Sing for joy to the Lord, all the earth; praise him with songs and shouts of joy!
Gospel: Luke 16:1-8(The Shrewd Manager)
1 Jesus said to his disciples, “There was once a rich man who had a servant who managed his property. The rich man was told that the manager was wasting his master's money,
2 so he called him in and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in a complete account of your handling of my property, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’
3 The servant said to himself, ‘My master is going to dismiss me from my job. What shall I do? I am not strong enough to dig ditches, and I am ashamed to beg.
4 Now I know what I will do! Then when my job is gone, I shall have friends who will welcome me in their homes.’
5 So he called in all the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6 ‘One hundred barrels of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Here is your account,’ the manager told him; ‘sit down and write fifty.’
7 Then he asked another one, ‘And you—how much do you owe?’ ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he answered. ‘Here is your account,’ the manager told him; ‘write eight hundred.’ 8 As a result the master of this dishonest manager praised him for doing such a shrewd thing; because the people of this world are much more shrewd in handling their affairs than the people who belong to the light.”