ST. MARTIN OF TOURS, BISHOP, SATURDAY OF WEEK 31 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Jesus Christ was rich,
but he became poor for your sake,
to make you rich out of his poverty. 2 COR 8:9

ROMANS 16:3-9,16,22-27 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

If the whole Church beginning with those who lead her people were as electrified with the power of the Good News of salvation as St. Paul and those who worked with him the whole world would quickly be evangelised and the Kingdom of God would be among us and reign in us.  

St. Paul lists a number of people who collaborated with him, they received the gift of faith through his preaching, were baptized, and became fellow workers with him. Their zeal for You O Lord was so great that they shared generously all they had and they threw their homes open to fellow believers. They met in these homes to celebrate the Lord's Supper. 

You filled them with the power of the Holy Spirit and they in turn proclaimed You and the Gospel with grace and power. What is keeping me, Lord, from becoming a disciple on fire with love for You and zealous to spread the Good News? The Holy Spirit already dwells in me. Why am I so timid, so bashful, so drawn into myself that I miss those moments when I ought to point to You? Grant me this grace my Lord and my God to take my gaze off me and use every opportunity to proclaim You so others too can come to know You as I do, believe in You, be comforted by You, and receive Your love and grow to love You in return.

PSALM 144(145):2-5,10-11 ©

I will bless you day after day

and praise your name forever.
The Lord is great, highly to be praised,
his greatness cannot be measured.

Age to age shall proclaim your works,

shall declare your mighty deeds,
shall speak of your splendour and glory,
tell the tale of your wonderful works.

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,

and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
and declare your might, O God.

I will bless your name forever, O Lord.

LUKE 16:9-15 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Speaking to the Pharisees directly who had an inordinate love for money, status, and power You said, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’ Too many people in the present age and in every age have spent their whole lives accumulating vast amounts of wealth and houses and land at the expense of the poor, the voiceless, and the marginalized. Those who are elected to govern have failed the vast majority of their people pandering to the elite few and increasing the division between the obscenely rich and the rest of the people. 

The lives of many saints who lived among the poor teach us how to use the things of the world in order to store up treasures for ourselves in heaven. We must be scrupulously honest in using and sharing the things entrusted to us both spiritual and material. We hold as stewards all that we have received and we will be called to give a strict account of our stewardship. It is the poor who will intercede for us before the Mercy Seat of God if we hear their cries and come to their help while we still can. Give us a heart for the poor Lord for You consider anything done to them as done to You.

‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’