Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop
Lectionary: 490
Reading 1
Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27
Brothers and sisters:
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus,
who risked their necks for my life,
to whom not only I am grateful but also all the churches of the Gentiles;
greet also the Church at their house.
Greet my beloved Epaenetus,
who was the firstfruits in Asia for Christ.
Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you.
Greet Andronicus and Junia,
my relatives and my fellow prisoners;
they are prominent among the Apostles
and they were in Christ before me.
Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.
Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ,
and my beloved Stachys.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the churches of Christ greet you.
I, Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord.
Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole Church, greets you.
Erastus, the city treasurer,
and our brother Quartus greet you.
Now to him who can strengthen you,
according to my Gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 145:2-3, 4-5, 10-11
R. (1b) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Alleluia
2 Corinthians 8:9
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 16:9-15
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,
so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
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 God and mammon."
The Pharisees, who loved money,
heard all these things and sneered at him.
And he said to them,
"You justify yourselves in the sight of others,
but God knows your hearts;
for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God."
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Doing Small Things Well
“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.” Luke 16:10
What are the “small matters” in life? Most likely, if you asked many different people from all walks of life this question, then you would receive many different answers. But if we consider the context of this statement of Jesus, then it is clear that one of the primary small matters of which He speaks is our use of money.
Many people live as though the attainment of wealth were of the highest importance. There are many who dream of becoming rich. Some regularly play the lottery in the very unlikely hope that they will hit it big. Others dedicate themselves to much hard work in their careers so that they can advance, make more money and, so they believe, become happier as they become wealthier. And others regularly daydream about what they would do if they were rich. But from the perspective of God, material wealth is a very small and unimportant matter. Money is useful insofar as it is one of the ordinary means by which we go about providing for ourselves and our families. But it truly is small in importance when it comes to the divine perspective.
With that said, one way to be entrusted by Jesus with “great” matters is to use your money appropriately. We become “trustworthy” in this small matter of money when we only give it the value that it has. In other words, we must see money only as one means to the end of fulfilling God’s perfect will. When we work to rid ourselves of excessive desires and dreams of riches, and when we use what we have in accord with God’s will, then this act on our part will open the door to our Lord to entrust us with much more. What is that “much more?” It’s the spiritual matters that pertain to our eternal salvation and the salvation of others. God wants to entrust to you the great responsibility of building His Kingdom on earth. He wants to use you to share His saving message with others. But He will first wait until you show yourself trustworthy in small matters, such as using your money well. And then, as you fulfill His will in these less important ways, you will begin to see Him call you to greater works.
Reflect, today, upon the fact that God wants great things from you. The goal of all of our lives is to be used by God in incredible ways. If this is something you desire, then do every small act in your life with great care. Show many small acts of kindness. Try to be thoughtful of others. Put others’ needs before your own. And commit yourself to using the money you have for God’s glory and in accord with His will. As you do these small things, you will begin to be amazed at how God is able to begin entrusting you with more, and, through you, great things will happen that have eternal effects in your life and in the lives of others.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
“THE LITTLE WAY”
“If you can trust a man in little things, you can also trust him in greater.” —Luke 16:10
In what small, ordinary, unseen, and even annoying ways can I exhibit the obedience of faith (Rm 1:5) today? I am called to be faithful to many “little things” (Lk 16:10) right now, but I don’t want to do them. I’d rather display my worthiness to all in the great moments. However, greatness in great matters is born of thousands of small matters in which we have cultivated the habit of obediently serving God (see Mt 25:21).
A disciplined habit of prayer is good — but discipline is just one part of trustworthiness. Our motives matter. The motives of carrying our daily cross and sacrificially loving transcend even a life of faithful diligence. Daily dying to ourselves (Lk 9:23) leads to a life in which ever larger matters are handled in trustworthiness (Lk 16:10). St. Therese of Lisieux strove to follow her “little way” of lovingly serving God.
The apostles followed Jesus faithfully in small matters daily for three years, but failed at the great moment of Jesus’ arrest and Passion (see Mk 14:50). Thus, success in small matters does not guarantee trustworthiness in great matters. Yet Jesus does say that faithfulness in small matters is a prerequisite. So, follow Jesus today in self-denial, humility, obedience, and love. Be trustworthy in small matters (see Lk 16:10). Be willing to serve the Lord in small, unseen obedience.
What little thing can I do to be obedient today so that I might not fail when larger challenges arise?
Prayer: Father, every day of my life, may I serve You with gladness, joy, and faithfulness.
Promise: “To Him, the God Who alone is wise, may glory be given through Jesus Christ unto endless ages. Amen.” —Rm 16:27
Praise: St. Martin was such an anointed evangelist that Jesus converted entire families and villages through him.
Reflection 3
By Fr. Joaquim FORTUNY i Vizcarro
(Cunit, Tarragona, Spain)
"The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones"
Today, Jesus speaks again with authority: He uses the «so I tell you», that has a particular force, as if dealing with a new doctrine. God wants everyone to be saved and to come to keep knowledge of the truth (cf. 1Tim 2:4); God wants us to be saints and today He points out necessary traits which will help us to reach holiness and have the “true goods”: faithfulness to small things, authenticity and never to forget God knows our hearts.
Faithfulness in small things falls within our reach. Our days are usually formed by what we call “very normal things”: the same job, the same people, some pious practices, our family... And it is in these ordinary realities where we must fulfill ourselves as persons and grow in holiness. “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” (Lk 16:10). We must do all things well, with upright intention and a sincere desire to please God, our Father; when we do it for love, it has a greater value and prepares us for the ‘true goods’. How well did Saint Josemaria Escrivá express it!: “Have you seen how that imposing building was built? One brick upon another. Thousands. But, one by one. And bags of cement, one by one. And blocks of stone, each of them insignificant compared with the massive whole. And beams of steel. And men working, the same hours, day after day... Have you seen how that imposing building was built? ... By dint of little things!”
It can help us to have the right intention to carefully make, every evening, our examination of conscience without ever forgetting that God sees everything, even the most hidden thoughts, just as we learned in our catechism, and that the important thing is to always please our Father God, whom we have to serve with love, bearing well in mind that “no servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other” (Lk 16:13). Don't ever forget: “Only God is God” (Benedict XVI).
Prayers
My trustworthy Lord, You were entrusted with the greatest good ever known. Your Father in Heaven entrusted to You the salvation of the world. Please help me to share in this task by being faithful to Your holy will in every small way. As I seek to serve You in the small matters of life, I pray that I will be able to be used for even greater ones. My life is Yours, dear Lord. Use me as You will. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord, you are never changing but always new. Help me to never tire of the simple yet profound truth of your Divine Mercy. Help me to always see the beauty and splendor of Your Divine Love. I do love You, dear Lord, and I pray that I may love You more every day. Lord, have Mercy on me. Christ, have Mercy on me. Lord, have mercy on me. Your Mercy, Lord, is great and glorious. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, may the fire of your love burn in my heart that I may be wholly devoted to you above all else. Free me from greed and attachment to material things that I may be generous in using the gifts and resources you give me for your glory and for the good of my neighbor.
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