Daily Bible Readings Friday November 6 2009 31st Week in Ordinary Time

November 6 2009 Friday Thirty First Week in Ordinary Time
Saint of the Day – St. Nicholas Tavelic and Companions

About the sources used. The readings on this site are not official for the Mass of Roman Rite of the Catholic Church in the USA, but are from sources free from copyright. They are here to present the comparable readings alongside traditional Catholic commentary as published in the Haydock Bible for your own personal study. Readings vary depending on your local calendar.

Official Readings of the Liturgy at – http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/110609.shtml

Romans 15:14-21
Haydock New Testament

And I myself also, my brethren, am assured of you, that you also are full of love, replenished with all knowledge, so that you are able to admonish one another. But I have written to you, brethren, more boldly in some sort, as putting you in mind: because of the grace which is given me from God, That I should be the minister of Christ Jesus among the Gentiles; sanctifying the gospel of God, that the oblation of the Gentiles may be made acceptable and sanctified in the Holy Ghost.

I have, therefore, glory in Christ Jesus towards God. For I dare not to speak of any of those things which Christ worketh not by me, for the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and by deed, By the virtue of signs and wonders, in the power of the Holy Ghost; so that from Jerusalem round about as far as unto Illyricum, I have spread the gospel of Christ. And I have so preached this gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation; but as it is written:. They to whom he was not spoken of, shall see, and they that have not heard, shall understand.

Responsorial Psalm 97:1-4 (Ps 98 NAB)
DR Challoner Text Only

Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle:
because he hath done wonderful things.
His right hand hath wrought for him salvation, and his arm is holy.
The Lord hath made known his salvation:
he hath revealed his justice in the sight of the Gentiles.
He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Sing joyfully to God, all the earth; make melody, rejoice and sing.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Luke 16:1-8
Haydock New Testament

And he said also to his disciples:

There was a certain rich man who had a steward: and the same was accused unto him, that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said to him:

How is it that I hear this of thee?  Give an account of thy stewardship: for now thou canst be steward no longer.

And the steward said within himself:

What shall I do, for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship?  To dig I am not able: to beg I am ashamed. I know what I will do, that when I shall be put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

Therefore, calling together every one of his lord’s debtors, he said to the first:

How much dost thou owe my lord?

But he said:

A hundred barrels of oil.

And he said to him:

Take thy bill: and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

Then he said to another:

And how much dost thou owe?

Who said:

A hundred quarters of wheat.

He said to him:

Take thy bill and write eighty.

And the lord commended the unjust steward, forasmuch as he had done wisely: for the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light.

Haydock Commentary Romans 15:14-21
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 15. &c. I have written to you, brethren, more boldly, &c.  S. Chrys. admires with what mildness he addresses himself to them, yet puts them in mind, that he is the minister, and the apostle of the Gentiles, in which he may have reason to glory, or boast. — Sanctifying the gospel of God, preaching it in a holy manner, that the Gentiles may be sanctified by it.  Wi. — To be the minister of Jesus Christ among the nations, exercising in their regard the rite of sacrifice, as we read in the Greek, ierourgounta. — For I dare not, I shall forbear to speak of any thing but my labours: I need not mention the power of miracles and wonders, which the Holy Ghost hath done by me in many places, from Jerusalem to Illyricum, in places where Christ had not been preached by others.  And now having no more place, nor occasion to preach in these countries, when I begin my journey to Spain, &c. by which, it appears, he designed at least to go into Spain.  Wi.
• Ver. 20. S. Paul does not mean to say, that he never preached where the gospel had before been announced; this would not have been true, for he preached at Damascus, where there were already Christians, whom he formerly wished to take in chains to Jerusalem; and again in this epistle he announces the truths of the gospel to the Romans already converted by the preaching of S. Peter.  But he means to say, that on these occasions he acts not as an apostle, whose office it is to preach to infidels; but as one that waters, confirms, comforts, as he says in the beginning of this epistle: and this he did as occasion offered, as the subsequent verses shew, where he tells us his design in calling on the Romans, in his journey to Spain.  Estius.

Haydock Commentary Luke 16:1-8

• Ver. 1. There was a certain rich man, &c.  By this parable, our Saviour advises his disciples to accompany their penitential works with deeds of mercy to the poor.  Ven. Bede. — There is a certain erroneous opinion, that obtains pretty generally amongst mankind, and which tends to increase crimes, and to lessen good works: and this is, the foolish persuasion that men are not accountable to any one, and that we can dispose as we please of the things in our possession.  S. Chrys. — Whereas we are here informed, that we are only the dispensers of another’s property, viz. God’s.  S. Amb. — When, therefore, we employ it not according to the will of our Master, but fritter and squander it away in pleasure, and in the gratification of our passions, we are, beyond all doubt, unjust stewards.  Theophylactus. — And a strict account will be required of what we have thus dissipated, by our common Lord and Master.  If then we are only stewards of that which we possess, let us cast from our minds that mean superciliousness and pride which the outward splendour of riches is so apt to inspire; and let us put on the humility, the modesty of stewards, knowing well that to whom much is given, much will be required.  Abundance of riches makes not a man great, but the dispensing them according to the will and intention of his employer.  A. — The intention of this parable, is to shew what use each one ought to make of the goods which God has committed to his charge.  In the three former parables, addressed to the murmuring Scribes and Pharisees, our Saviour shews with what goodness he seeks the salvation and conversion of a sinner; in this, he teaches how the sinner, when converted, ought to correspond to his vocation, and preserve with great care the inestimable blessing of innocence.  Calmet. — A steward, &c.  The parable puts us in mind, that let men be ever so rich or powerful in this world, God is still their master; they are his servants, and must be accountable to him how they have managed his gifts and favours; that is, all things they have had in this world.  Wi.
• Ver. 2. And he called him, &c.  Such are the words which our Lord daily addresses to us.  We daily see persons equally healthy, and likely to live as ourselves, suddenly summoned by death, to give an account of their stewardship.  Happy summons to the faithful servant, who has reason to hope in his faithful administration.  Not so to the unfaithful steward, whose pursuits are earthly: death to him is terrible indeed, and his exit is filled with sorrow.  All thunder-stricken at these words, “now thou canst be steward no longer,” he says within himself, what shall I do!  Ex D. Thoma.
• Ver. 8. And the lord commanded, &c.  By this we are given to understand, that if the lord of this unjust steward could commend him for his worldly prudence, though it were an overt act of injustice; how much more will the Almighty be pleased with those who, obedient to his command, seek to redeem their sins by alms-deeds?  Ex D. Thoma. — “Give alms out of thy substance,” says holy Toby to his son, “and turn not thy face from any poor person: for so it shall come to pass, that the face of the Lord shall not be turned from thee.  According to thy abilities be merciful.  If thou hast much, give abundantly; if thou hast little, take care, even of that little, to bestow willingly a little.  For thus thou storest up to thyself a good reward, for the day of necessity.  For alms deliver from sin, and from death, and will not suffer the soul to go into darkness.”  Tob. iv. 7, 8, &c.  Ibidem. — Children of this world, &c. are more prudent and circumspect as to what regards their temporal concerns, than they who profess themselves servants of God, are about the concerns of eternity. — Commended the unjust steward.[1]  Lit. the steward of iniquity: not for his cheating and injustice, but for his contrivances in favour of himself. — In their generation; i.e. in their concerns of this life.  They apply themselves with greater care and pains, in their temporal affairs, than the children of light, whom God has favoured with the light of faith, do to gain heaven.  Wi.