† Saint Quote
Guard against anger. But if it cannot be averted, let it be kept within bounds. For indignation is a terrible incentive to sin. It disorders the mind to such an extent as to leave no room for reason.
St. Ambrose
Today's Meditation
“How might the sacrament of Reconciliation help us grow in the gift of knowledge? First of all, through a thorough and heartfelt confession, the mortal sins that shut off the channels of graces, including the gifts [of the Holy Spirit] are reopened. Secondly, the gift of knowledge may very well help us to make a good confession if it has prompted us to learn throughly the tenets of our Faith, including the thoughts and deeds that are right and wrong in the eyes of God. The gift of knowledge can also enable us to reflect on the world’s effects on us—and our effects on others—that might lead to sin.”
—Kevin Vost, PSY.D. p.78
Daily Verse †
For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the last day.
▪ John 6:40
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EWTN Daily Saint
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Saint Leonard of Noblac/Limonges
Patron Saint of: Prisoners, captives, and childbirth
Feast Day: November 6
St. Leonard of Noblac (d. 559 A.D.) also known as St. Leonard of Limoges, was a French nobleman in the court of Clovis I, King of France. He was converted to the Christian faith, along with the King, by St. Remigius, Bishop of Rheims. After his conversion he abandoned his worldly pursuits, left the royal court, and followed St. Remigius as a disciple. He obtained special permission from the king to release any prisoners whom he deemed worthy of pardon. He declined an offer of a bishopric and entered the monastery at Orleans to live a life of prayer and penance. Desiring greater solitude and penance than what the monastery allowed, he withdrew into a forest to live as a hermit. He built a small cell and lived on herbs and fruits. He soon attracted followers who joined him in his ascetic life. In thanksgiving for his prayers that the Queen of France would safely deliver her child, St. Leonard was given a large tract of royal land in Noblac. There the saint built an abbey where he served as abbot until his death. A village grew around the abbey that still exists today, named Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat. Numerous shrines are dedicated to St. Leonard across Europe, and thousands of miracles are credited to his intercession. He is the patron saint of prisoners and women in labor. His feast day is November 6th.
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Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 489
Reading 1
Philippians 3:17—4:1
Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers and sisters,
and observe those who thus conduct themselves
according to the model you have in us.
For many, as I have often told you
and now tell you even in tears,
conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction.
Their God is their stomach;
their glory is in their “shame.”
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified Body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5
R. (1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Alleluia
1 John 2:5
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever keeps the word of Christ,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 16:1-8
Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said,
‘What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.’
The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do,
now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.’
He called in his master’s debtors one by one.
To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’
Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.’
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than the children of light.”
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Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ!
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From Word Among Us WAU.org
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Daily Meditation: Luke 16:1-8
The master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. (Luke 16:8)
The steward in today’s Gospel is what we might call an “antihero.” He had been fired for squandering his master’s property, so he decided to ingratiate himself with the people who were in debt to his master by writing off a percentage of their loans. So why did Jesus commend him (Luke 16:8)?
Because although this steward was dishonest, he was “acting prudently” (Luke 16:8). Instead of doing something rash, he thought carefully about his situation and took decisive action. Clearly, Jesus valued this quality, even though in this particular case, the steward was acting purely out of self-interest.
So how do we grow in this virtue of prudence? The Catechism calls prudence “the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it” (1806).
That definition can sound a bit daunting. But if we look back at some of our past decisions, we’ll probably see that we haven’t always discerned the “true good” in a situation or chosen the right way of achieving it. But we can develop habits that will help us.
First, we can avoid acting rashly. Sometimes our emotions get the best of us, but it’s better in any situation to take a deep breath, quiet ourselves, and turn to the Lord. Not only is this calming, but God can use our silence to give us insight or guide us in how to deal with a problem.
Second, we can ask for help from trusted brothers and sisters. They might have the experience or the knowledge that we don’t have in a specific situation and be able to offer invaluable advice.
Third, we can look to the future and ask, “How will this decision affect me, not only today, but in the years ahead? Will it prepare me for what might come?”
Jesus is looking for disciples who can recognize and choose the good in every situation, whether that’s in raising a family, handling finances, or dealing with colleagues at work. May we always be “children of light” who are prudent stewards of all that God has entrusted us with (Luke 16:8)!
“Jesus, guide my steps in all that I say and do!”
Philippians 3:17–4:1
Psalm 122:1-5
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
Audio Link
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From today's Holy Gospel:
"And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than the children of light.”
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From Roberto Juarez:
"Sometimes we lack the same initiative to do good, the same perseverance to pray, the same enthusiasm to proclaim the Gospel or the same generosity to serve.
Jesus invites us to awaken. Faith cannot be lived lazily or indifferently. If we believe that the Gospel is good news for everyone, we must put our abilities at the service of that mission. But there is something even more important: we need to learn to distinguish between what is temporary and what remains. Money, possessions, prestige and professional success may have their usefulness, but they do not constitute the ultimate meaning of our existence. What remains is the love, justice, mercy, fidelity and good that we have sown in the lives of others. At the end of our lives we will not take with us the things we have accumulated. What we have lived out of love will remain.
Today's parable leaves us with a very concrete question: are we stewarding well what God has entrusted to us? It is not just a matter of managing our material goods correctly. It is a matter of administering our own lives from the Gospel. The Lord has given us time, skills and opportunities. He has placed us together with other people so that we can share the journey with them. He has called us to live as his children and as brothers and sisters of all. Let us not waste these gifts. Let us not let selfishness, comfort or indifference prevent us from bearing fruit. And when the time comes to present our lives to the Lord, may we offer him not an existence closed in our own interests, but a fruitful life, full of love and works of mercy." end quote.
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From Bishop Barron:
"The Lord told the parable to urge us to carefully examine our spiritual condition. His desire is that we choose to renew our relationship with him. He wants us to take stock of our weaknesses and make a firm resolution to acquire necessary strengths to fix them.
If your prayer life is weak, act to give it new life. If you have not been worshipping fervently at Mass, decide to participate more fully. If you have a broken relationship, repair it. And so on. Decide now, then act." end quote.
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Your Brother Adrian.
Human beings are very creative…kind of like Our Father Creator and God!
God loves the creativity of mankind. Just like I enjoy seeing my children come up with quirky ideas or inventions, or drawings, I am sure our Lord sees humanity, His children, His creation.
But sometimes, that creativity, is used for the wrong purpose. This is where things take a turn for the worse. Sin is a deviation, we miss the mark with sin. Sadly, many new protestants teach sin as a passive thing with their mantra "once saved, always saved". Oh man, this hurts humanity.
I digress.
Today we heard about a steward that was messing up with His Master's stuff. The Master catches wind of it, and calls him up, hand over all the accounts, you are about to get FIRED!
The steward panics. He is no good at manual labor, now what? Who will welcome him now? So he gets shrewd, he gets creative. He comes up with a scheme, an idea, a "win- win" situation for both the master and the people. He makes deals. The people win and the master wins.
If only…we would at least do that.
Like the investment of coins in another parable, one guy didn't bother investing. Our Lord said "AT LEAST he should have put it in the bank to gain SOMETHING!" for the Master.
And here is where we differ from most lost protestants…we WORK for God.
I admire hard working saints, like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, or Mother Cabrini. They gave all their life as an offering to God. And I am a man, admiring these woman, teaching what man can do…for GOD! Today, we are reminded, life is short, and on Sunday, at Mass, listen up. We studied the Sunday Gospel in bible study, and we reviewed the story that is coming…the 10 virgins, waiting for the bridegroom at the wedding vigil…but half were foolish, had no oil for the night light lamps. What happened? They wasted time. Procrastination is deadly. Putting things off for later, is like setting ticking time bombs.
Our Lord will start reminding us in this liturgical season …about the end times. STAY AWAKE, He says. Be READY!
When will we be asked to render accounts for our life?
Nothing in life is guaranteed, except what God says.
The Truth.
The Life.
The Way.
All things our Lord JESUS the Christ, our Savior. He has words of everlasting life.
Let us use our smarts for God's Kingdom, God's business, Our Father's Kingdom, on earth…as it is in Heaven.
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Random Bible Verse 1
Matthew 6:14–15
[Matthew 6]
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Word of the Lord!
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God Bless You! Peace
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