Greetings on this the Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: ECCL 11:9—12:8; PS 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 AND 17; LK 9:43B-45
Notes: The 25th and 26th Sundays book-end multiple layers of the gospel teachings.
Between them in the reading sequence, a series of contrasts, the gospel message below:
Monday – You are Light.
Tuesday – Mother and Brother? Will of the Father.
Wednesday – Follow me. I desire mercy not sacrifice.
Thursday – Evil is perplexed by good. They cannot ‘see’ it.
Friday – The First Prediction of the Passion (propitiation and resurrection).
And today, Saturday.
A life led in vain (sequence readings ECCL or PRV, but I will highlight today’s contrast).
A call to imitate the fullness of the generosity of God and servant leadership of the Christ.
And in either horizon, death. It is our destiny.
Combining the gospel and first reading today could look like below.
Pay attention to what I am telling you: The life breath returns to God who gave it.
Our Alleluia verse today gives us comfort to consider these things:
Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.
The Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time and the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time consider two parables. Two men, one who is an educated man hired to administer the treasury of a Master and the other the Master also an intelligent man who owns a treasury.
Both have a miserable (vain) relationship to the Manna.
- The Dishonest Steward steals what is not his own as if only he matters
- The Rich Man keeps only for himself as if only he matters.
Both have a horizon that is painful and without hope.
- The Dishonest Steward, in this life, sets his course to the false protection of manna.
- The Rich Man, in his death, finds the hopelessness in which he lead his life and now suffers hopelessness immediately.
The Parable of the Dishonest Steward. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/16?1
The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/16?19
First reading
The life breath returns to God who gave it.
Responsorial Psalm
In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Alleluia Verse
Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.
Gospel Portion
While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
- Be amazed by Jesus.
- Be loved by the Father.
- Set your horizon to the holy.
Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry
Deacon Gerry Palermo 