Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 11-04-05, Memorial, St. Charles Borromeo, bishop

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 11-04-05 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

November 4, 2005
Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, bishop

Psalm: Friday 47

Reading I
Rom 15:14-21

I myself am convinced about you, my brothers and sisters,
that you yourselves are full of goodness,
filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another.
But I have written to you rather boldly in some respects to remind you,
because of the grace given me by God
to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles
in performing the priestly service of the Gospel of God,
so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable,
sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast in what pertains to God.
For I will not dare to speak of anything
except what Christ has accomplished through me
to lead the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,
by the power of signs and wonders,
by the power of the Spirit of God,
so that from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum
I have finished preaching the Gospel of Christ.
Thus I aspire to proclaim the Gospel
not where Christ has already been named,
so that I do not build on another’s foundation,
but as it is written:

Those who have never been told of him shall see,
and those who have never heard of him shall understand.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Gospel
Lk 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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For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

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[Saint]Charles Borromeo B.Cardinal(RM)

St. Charles Borromeo – November 4

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From: Romans 15:14-21

Paul's Ministry

---

[14] I myself am satisfied about you, my brethren, that you yourselves
are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct
one another. [15] But on some points I have written to you very boldly
by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God [16] to be a
minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the
gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable,
sanctified by the Holy Spirit. [17] In Christ Jesus, then, I have
reason to be proud of my work for God. [18] For I will not venture to
speak of anything except what Christ has wrought through me to win
obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed, [19] by the power of
signs and wonders, by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that from
Jerusalem and as far round as Illyricum I have fully preached the
gospel of Christ, [20] thus making it my ambition to preach the gospel,
not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on another man's
foundation, [21] but as it is written, "They shall see who have never
been told of him, and they shall understand who have never heard of
him."

---

Commentary:

16. Christ "became a servant to the circumcised" (v. 8), that is, he
directed his teaching to the Jews, proclaimed to them the Gospel of the
Kingdom, in order to lead them to salvation. St Paul, within the
context of the universal mission entrusted to the Apostles, was chosen
to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the Gentiles (cf. Rom 1:5). As well
as preaching the Good News, the Apostle's mission included a strictly
priestly commitment, which consisted in sanctifying the Gentiles in
order to make them an offering pleasing to God (cf. Eph 3:6-9).

Previously only the Jewish people could be considered a holy people, a
priestly people (cf. Ex 19:5-6). With the coming of Christ, the
Gentiles also have become an "acceptable offering, sanctified by the
Holy Spirit". All Christians who are part of this "offering of the
Gentiles" should take to heart what St Augustine says: "You contain
within you what you should offer. Draw from your heart, as from a
treasure chest, the incense of praise; offer from the treasury of your
conscience the sacrifice of faith. And with charity set fire to
everything you offer. For within you are these offerings which you
should sacrifice in praise of God" ("Enarrationes in Psalmos", 55, 19).
In other words, consciousness of being called to share in Christ's
priesthood should help us to offer God our whole life: "Let the
faithful, then, learn to appreciate the dignity to which they have been
raised by the Sacrament of Baptism [...] and let them not forget to
offer themselves and their anxieties, their sorrows, their troubles,
their miseries and their needs, in union with their divine Head
crucified" (Pius XII, "Mediator Dei", 25).

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

From: Luke 16:1-8


The Unjust Steward

---

[1] He (Jesus) also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who
had a steward, and charges were brought to him that this man was
wasting his goods. [2] And he called him and said to him, 'What is this
that I hear from you? Turn in the account of your stewardship, for you
can no longer be steward.' [3] And the steward said to himself, 'What
shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I
am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. [4] I have
decided what to do, so that people may receive me into their houses
when I am put out of the stewardship.' [5] So, summoning his master's
debtors one by one, he said to the first, 'How much do you owe my
master?' [6] He said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him,
'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' [7] Then he
said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' He said, 'A hundred
measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'
[8] The master commended the dishonest steward for his prudence; for
the sons of this world are wiser in their own generation that the sons
of light.

---

Commentary:


1-8. The unfaithful steward manages to avoid falling on hard times. Of
course, our Lord presumes that we realize the immorality of the man's
behavior. What he emphasizes and praises, however, is his shrewdness
and effort: he tries to derive maximum material advantages from his
former position as steward. In saving our soul and spreading the
Kingdom of God, our Lord wants us to apply at least the same ingenuity
and effort as people put into their worldly affairs or their attempts
to attain some human ideal. The fact that we can count on God's grace
does not in any way exempt us from the need to employ all available
legitimate human resources even if that means strenuous effort and
heroic sacrifice.


"What zeal people put into their earthly affairs: dreaming of honors,
striving for riches, bent on sensuality. Men and women, rich and poor,
old and middle-aged and young and even children: all of them the same.
When you and I put the same zeal into the affairs of our souls, we
will have a living and operative faith: and there will be no obstacle
that we cannot overcome in our apostolic undertakings" ([St] J. Escriva,
"The Way", 317).

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

Friday, November 4, 2005
St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Memorial)

First Reading: Psalm: Gospel:

Romans 15:14-21 Psalm 98:1-4 Luke 16:1-8 The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God. This invitation to converse with God is addressed to man as soon as he comes into being. For if man exists it is because God has created him through love, and through love continues to hold him in existence. He cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his Creator. -- Gaudium et spes

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American Catholic’s Saint of the Day

November 4, 2005

St. Charles Borromeo

(1538-1584)

The name of St. Charles Borromeo is associated with reform. He lived during the time of the Protestant Reformation, and had a hand in the reform of the whole Church during the final years of the Council of Trent.

Although he belonged to a noble Milanese family and was related to the powerful Medici family, he desired to devote himself to the Church. When his uncle, Cardinal de Medici, was elected pope in 1559 as Pius IV, he made Charles cardinal-deacon and administrator of the Archdiocese of Milan while he was still a layman and a young student. Because of his intellectual qualities he was entrusted with several important offices connected with the Vatican and later appointed secretary of state with full charge of the administration of the papal states. The untimely death of his elder brother brought Charles to a definite decision to be ordained a priest, despite relatives’ insistence that he marry. He was ordained a priest at the age of 25, and soon afterward he was consecrated bishop of Milan.

Because of his work at the Council of Trent he was not allowed to take up residence in Milan until the Council was over. Charles had encouraged the pope to renew the Council in 1562 after it had been suspended 10 years before. Working behind the scenes, St. Charles deserves the credit for keeping the Council in session when at several points it was on the verge of breaking up. He took upon himself the task of the entire correspondence during the final phase.

Eventually Charles was allowed to devote his time to the Archdiocese of Milan, where the religious and moral picture was far from bright. The reform needed in every phase of Catholic life among both clergy and laity was initiated at the provincial council of all his suffragan bishops. Specific regulations were drawn up for bishops and other clergy: If the people were to be converted to a better life, these had to be the first to give a good example and renew their apostolic spirit.

Charles took the initiative in giving good example. He allotted most of his income to charity, forbade himself all luxury and imposed severe penances upon himself. He sacrificed wealth, high honors, esteem and influence to become poor. During the plague and famine of 1576 he tried to feed 60,000 to 70,000 people daily. To do this he borrowed large sums of money that required years to repay. When the civil authorities fled at the height of the plague, he stayed in the city, where he ministered to the sick and the dying, helping those in want.

Work and the heavy burdens of his high office began to affect his health. He died at the age of 46.

Comment:

St. Charles made his own the words of Christ: "...I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me" (Matthew 25:35-36). Charles saw Christ in his neighbor and knew that charity done for the least of his flock was charity done for Christ.

Quote:

"Christ summons the Church, as she goes her pilgrim way, to that continual reformation of which she always has need, insofar as she is an institution of men here on earth. Consequently, if, in various times and circumstances, there have been deficiencies in moral conduct or in Church discipline, or even in the way that Church teaching has been formulated—to be carefully distinguished from the deposit of faith itself—these should be set right at the opportune moment and in the proper way" (Decree on Ecumenism, 6, Austin Flannery translation).

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Catholic Culture

Collect: Father, keep in your people the spirit which filled Charles Borromeo. Let your Church be continually renewed and show the image of Christ to the world by being conformed to his likeness, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Recipes: » Bombe Cardinal » Carol Cake » Eggs St. Charles » Fruit Cardinal Activities: » Death and Burial » Nameday Ideas for the Feast of St. Charles Borromeo » Namedays » November and the Holy Souls more » Practical Suggestions for Christian Living (Anointing of the Sick) » Praying for the Dead and Gaining Indulgences During November » Prepare for Death » Preparing for Heaven » Religion in the Home for Elementary School: November » Religion in the Home for Preschool: November » Teaching About Death » Teaching Children About Sickness and Death » What is a Nameday? less Prayers: » November Devotion: The Holy Souls in Purgatory » Little Litany of the Holy Souls » Prayer of Saint Charles Borromeo » Prayer for a Happy Death more » Daily Acceptance of Death » Litany of Saint Charles Borromeo less

November 04, 2005 Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, bishop Old Calendar: St. Charles Borromeo; Sts. Vitalis and Agricola, martyrs St. Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) was a member of a noble family and a nephew of Pope Pius IV. He was made a Cardinal at the age of 23 and assisted the Pope in administering the affairs of the Holy See and in governing the Church. Soon thereafter he was made Archbishop of Milan. His endeavors on behalf of the 19th Ecumenical Council of Trent (1545-1564) were especially meritorious and fruitful. He helped to direct and guide it and bring it to a successful conclusion. He then proceeded to enforce its decrees in the Archdiocese of Milan and thoroughly reformed Catholic life in his See. During a plague he walked barefooted in the public streets, carrying a cross, with a rope around his neck, offering himself as a victim to God for the transgressions of his people. Before the reform of the Roman Calendar in 1969, this was the commemoration of Sts. Vitalis and Agricola, martyrs in Bologna. Their feastday is no longer on the Universal Roman Calendar, but has been transferred to particular calendars. St. Charles Borromeo Charles Borromeo, the bishop of Milan, came from a wealthy, aristocratic Italian family. He was born in the family castle, and lived a rather lavish life, entertaining sumptuously as befit a Renaissance court. He personally enjoyed athletics, music, art, and the fine dining that went along with lifestyles of the rich and famous of the sixteenth century. His maternal uncle, from the powerful Medici family, was pope. As was typical of the times, his uncle-pope made him a cardinal-deacon at age twenty-three and bestowed on him numerous offices. He was appointed papal legate to Bologna, the Low Countries, and the cantons of Switzerland, and to the religious orders of St. Francis, the Carmelites, the Knights of Malta, and others. When Count Frederick Borromeo passed away, many people thought Charles would give up the clerical life and marry now that he had become head of the Borromeo family. But he did not. He deferred to another uncle and became a priest. Shortly thereafter he was appointed bishop of Milan, a city that had not had a resident bishop for over eighty years. Although raised to the grand life, Borromeo spent much of his time dealing with hardship and suffering. The famine of 1570 required him to bring in food to feed three thousand people a day for three months. Six years later a two-year plague swept through the region. Borromeo mobilized priests, religious, and lay volunteers to feed and care for the sixty thousand to seventy thousand people living in the Alpine villages of his district. He personally cared for many who were sick and dying. In the process, Borromeo ran up huge debts, depleting his resources in order to feed, clothe, administer medical care, and build shelters for thousands of plague-stricken people. As if the natural disasters facing Borromeo were not enough, a disgruntled priest from a religious order falling out of favor with Church authorities attempted to assassinate him. As Charles knelt in prayer before the altar, the would-be assassin pulled a gun and shot him. At first, Charles thought he was dying, but the bullet never passed through the thick vestments he was wearing. It only bruised him. Borromeo combined the love of the good life with the self-sacrificing zeal one would expect of a Renaissance churchman. Once when he was playing billiards, someone asked what he would do if he knew he only had fifteen more minutes to live. "Keep playing billiards," he replied. He died at age forty-six, not at the billiard table but quietly in bed. Excerpted from The Way of the Saints, Tom Cowan. St. Charles used the following strong language to the assembly of bishops during the convocation of the Synod: Let us fear lest the angered judge say to us: If you were the enlighteners of My Church, why have you closed your eyes? If you pretended to be shepherds of the flock, why have you suffered it to stray? Salt of the earth, you have lost your savor. Light of the world, they that sat in darkness and the shadow of death have never seen you shine. You were apostles; who, then, put your apostolic firmness to the test, since you have done nothing but seek to please men? You were the mouth of the Lord, and you have made that mouth dumb. If you allege in excuse that the burden was beyond your strength, why did you make it the object of your ambitious intrigues? Great was Charles' love of neighbor and liberality toward the poor. When the plague raged in Milan, he sold his household furniture, even his bed, to aid the sick and needy, and thereafter slept upon bare boards. He visited those stricken by the disease, consoled them as a tender father, conferred upon them the sacraments with his own hands. A true mediator, he implored forgiveness day and night from the throne of grace. He once ordered an atonement procession and appeared in it with a rope about his neck, with bare and bloody feet, a cross upon his shoulder—thus presenting himself as an expiatory sacrifice for his people to ward off divine punishment. He died, dressed in sackcloth and ashes, holding a picture of Jesus Crucified in his hands, in 1584 at the age of forty-six. His last words were, "See, Lord, I am coming, I am coming soon." His tomb in the cathedral of Milan is of white marble. Patron: Against ulcers; apple orchards; bishops; catechists; catechumens; colic; intestinal disorders; diocese of Monterey, California; seminarians; spiritual directors; spiritual leaders; starch makers; stomach diseases. Symbols: Altar; chalice and host; rope around neck; casket and crucifix; cardinal's hat; word Humiltitas crowned. Often Portrayed As: Bishop wearing a noose around his neck; cardinal wearing a noose around his neck. Things to Do: Pray the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin in imitation of St. Charles who recited it daily; Say a rosary for our Bishops that they will have the courage to be the salt and light in our confused world; Learn more about the Council of Trent; Pray for vocations and pray for the pastor and the priests in your parish that they will plant the life of grace and help it grow; Meditate on the common priesthood bestowed on all of us at baptism and confirmation; Do something today to spread the faith, explain some teaching to your children, witness to your neighbor, purchase good Catholic books for others, mindful that "every Catholic is responsible for the salvation of those with whom he lives!" (Pius Parsch) From the Catholic Culture library: Charles Borromeo: Hero of Reform and Editae Saepe (On St. Charles Borromeo). Sts. Vitalis and Agricola Vitalis and Agricola were two martyrs of Bologna. Their bodies were discovered in 393 during the episcopate of St. Ambrose who was present at the translation of their relics. The following is a legendary account: Vitalis, a slave, and Agricola, his master, were cruelly tortured under Diocletian. In vain was Vitalis tempted by promises to renounce his faith; he merely showed himself more constant as a confessor of Christ. He was tortured most dreadfully, but bore all with incomparable patience till in prayer he gave up the spirit. Agricola's sentence was delayed in the hope that the torments of his slave would frighten him into a denial of Christ, but the constancy of Vitalis confirmed him in the faith. He was nailed to a cross and thereby became a comrade and sharer with his servant in the crown of martyrdom (c. 304). Later times distinguished two persons by the name Vitalis, one the martyr of Ravenna, the other Agricola's companion at Bologna; actually there is question that they are but one and the same individual. Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch. Symbols: White war horse; spiked club; post; cross and nails.

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Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	Are You Blind to Your Own Goodness?
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Friday, November 4, 2005

Rom 15:14-21 / Lk 16:1-8

In the very first sentence of today's epistle, St Paul gives us a glimpse at one of the qualities that made him such a good man and such a powerful bearer of God's Good News. It was his ability to see the goodness in every person he met. Not only could he see the goodness in every person, but he knew how tell them about it, so they could rejoice in it and draw courage from it as well.

That's something we don't do nearly enough, either for others or for ourselves. It's a shame, because goodness, heroism, and all sorts of accomplishments against long odds are present in abundance in so many of us. And they could be such a source of encouragement and confidence as we face the next challenges in our lives. Moreover, we know that our achievements aren't ours alone. They're the result of God working with and in us. Yet, when was the last time we thanked God for them, really thanked him? Strange, isn't it, how our prayers tend to focus on our needs and our faults and failures.

So here are some questions to ponder. Have I named my successes out loud and thanked God for them? Have I helped my friends and family do the same? Have I drawn courage and confidence from what God and I have done together so far?

If any of my answers are "no," I've been missing some of life's special joys. Isn't now the right time to change that? Indeed it is.

 

[SaltyJoe]

The dishonest steward is more like a "repo man". Knowing that he has dishonored his master, he must win his master's favor back. Thus, he collects his master's debt with out commission. Considering the wealth had has attained, it's probably not far off to assume that he makes up for debtors by adding from his own pocket. It's a double play: should he be relieved of one master, he's pleased a future master by giving a favor via debt relief.

God knows economy. I'll bet there was a surge of business profits since debts were paid, credit rates were up, and people, with increased confidence, had money to spend.

http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/luke/luke16.htm#foot1

1 [1-8a] The parable of the dishonest steward has to be understood in the light of the Palestinian custom of agents acting on behalf of their masters and the usurious practices common to such agents. The dishonesty of the steward consisted in the squandering of his master's property (Luke 16:1) and not in any subsequent graft. The master commends the dishonest steward who has forgone his own usurious commission on the business transaction by having the debtors write new notes that reflected only the real amount owed the master (i.e., minus the steward's profit). The dishonest steward acts in this way in order to ingratiate himself with the debtors because he knows he is being dismissed from his position (Luke 16:3). The parable, then, teaches the prudent use of one's material goods in light of an imminent crisis.

[lightman]

Borromeo combined the love of the good life with the self-sacrificing zeal one would expect of a Renaissance churchman. Once when he was playing billiards, someone asked what he would do if he knew he only had fifteen more minutes to live. "Keep playing billiards," he replied. He died at age forty-six, not at the billiard table but quietly in bed.

Interesting, I have heard a similar story attributed to Luther (while still an Augustinian friar) playing soccer, his response being "keep playing soccer." That must have been a popular tale told about persons of great faith in the 16th Century.

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Forgot the First Friday alerts! Sorry.

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"The best, the surest , and the most effective way of establishing everlasting peace on the face of the earth is through the great power of perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament." -- Pope John Paul II

"Could you not watch one hour?" -- Mark 14:37

 
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PERPETUAL ADORATION

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A Voice in the Desert

 

 

Friday November 4, 2005   Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Reading (Romans 15:14-21)    Gospel (St. Luke 16:1-8)

In the Gospel reading, we hear that the master commended the dishonest steward for acting prudently. Now this does not sound like something we would expect to hear from the mouth of the Lord. Why would He commend somebody for being dishonest? It is not that He is commending the person for acting dishonestly, but rather what he [the steward] is doing is looking at the situation and saying, “I’m about to be fired from my job. What am I going to be able to do to make sure that I’m taken care of?” If you advance that to the spiritual level and we look at our sinfulness and say, “You know what? I’m going to be cast into hell because of my sins. What is it that I need to do? How am I going to be received into God’s house when I die?” that is when we need to be able to sit down and say, “If I can get to Confession, I can be forgiven and I’ll be able to get into God’s house.”  

In this particular instance, of course, the person is acting out of pure selfishness. With regard to Confession, even if we are there for the wrong reason (that is, for an imperfect motive because we are afraid of being cast into hell) that is still enough to be able to be forgiven in the sacrament of Confession. However, that is not really the motive that we have to be about. What we should be striving for is to be truly sorry because we have offended the Lord; not because we are afraid that we will not get into heaven, or because we are afraid that we are going to be cast into hell, but because we have offended Christ. This steward should have been repentant for what he did, but he was not. Even with that, he was commended by his master for acting prudently. Well, the prudent thing for us is even if we are not sorry for having offended the Lord, even if we are not repentant because we have offended Christ, the prudent thing is still to say, “Instead of going to hell, I’d better do something about this problem. I need to get to Confession.” But, again, we need to look at our own situation and realize that that is completely a selfish and imperfect motive, and we should be striving for something much higher. But even if at this point all we can do is muster selfishness, at least we can still be prudent enough to say, “I don’t want to go to hell.”  

That is even a point we can mention to people who are away from the sacraments. Maybe it is a way of getting some people back into the Church. Play upon their selfishness, if nothing else. Hopefully, once they get their foot back in the water, they will continue to wade in deeper and it will change from being completely selfish into a true love for the Lord. But at least they need to start with something. That is the point Our Lord is trying to make for us in the Gospel reading.  

But for us, we can go further. We can hear what Saint Paul had to say to the Romans. He knew of the goodness that was there, he knew of the knowledge that they had, and he was calling them to even greater things. So he says, I have spoken boldly to you. Well, so too with us. The grace of God is at work, the goodness is there within us, the ability to be able to do things is there, but the Lord is calling us to something even greater. He is calling us to union with Himself. He is calling us to true holiness. What we are being boldly asked to do is to be able to get rid of anything within ourselves that keeps us from union with Christ. We have the ability already, but the Lord wants something even greater for us.  

That is the same basic idea we see in the Gospel. We can start out with selfishness, we can start out with an imperfect motive, but the Lord wants something even greater for us, not out of selfishness for Himself, to say, “Shouldn’t you be loving Me?” but rather out of true charity for us, to be able to say, “This is what is the best for you.” Remember, that is always what God wants. He wants what is best for us. Obviously, He wants us all to go to heaven, but we have to choose it. And even if it starts out as an imperfect motive and being selfish, He still wants us to go to heaven. But He wants us to be able to love Him because He knows that is what is best for us, and so He wants us to be repentant because we love the Lord, not just because we are afraid of being cast into hell. He wants something even greater. At least the repentance is there, even if it is for a selfish motive, but if we are going to do something even greater, it is to be repentant because we love God.  

So we can all look within our own hearts and ask ourselves, “What is my motive for going to Confession? What is my motive for being repentant? Is there a way I can do things even better to be able to love God more perfectly so that the confessions I make will have even greater fruit in my life, not because I’m making the confession out of fear, but because I am doing so out of love?” 

*  This text was transcribed from the audio recording with minimal editing.       

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Friday, November 04, 2005 Meditation Luke 16:1-8 Our first impression upon reading this parable might be that the steward in the story was a thief in the way he dealt with his master’s debtors. But a careful reading shows that the master accused the steward of mismanagement and wastefulness, not stealing: “Charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property” (Luke 16:1). Who brought these charges? Maybe it was one of the manager’s debtors, who was angry about the exorbitant interest that the steward was charging. A steward’s salary was often paid from the interest charged on these kinds of loans, and it’s quite possible that this steward had overcharged the debtors for his own benefit. So in telling this story, Jesus is not really encouraging dishonesty. Rather, he is contrasting the energetic and clever thinking of the steward. After all, when he found out that his master was going to fire him, this fellow made sure he made some friends with the debtors—not by stealing but by cutting his own salary to the debtors’ benefits. Thus, everyone was a winner: the debtors’ payments were lowered; the steward secured a place for himself outside his master’s house; and the master’s reputation was restored. The steward’s questionable morality is not the heart of Jesus’ parable here. Rather, it’s the principle of shrewdness. Just as the steward used his money to prepare an earthly dwelling for himself, we can be clever in the use of our money to build God’s kingdom on earth. What we do for the poor and needy on this earth will bring eternal reward for us as well as for others. How? If we give of ourselves and our money, people who otherwise might choose crime and sinful ways may be saved. For example, our generosity in giving to youth programs or prison ministries not only pleases the Father; it helps others walk away from bad choices. We can be shrewd in our relationships as well, building up our friends and family in godliness. Everybody wins! We develop closer relationships, and we help others draw closer to Jesus. “Jesus, continue to teach me through your word. Continue to transform my mind to be keen and shrewd in building godly friendships and advancing your kingdom.” Romans 15:14-21; Psalm 98:1-4

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Friday, November 4, 2005 >>

St. Charles Borromeo

Romans 15:14-21

Psalm 98

Luke 16:1-8

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GUNG-HO

"The owner then gave his devious employee credit for being enterprising! Why? Because the worldly take more initiative than the other-worldly when it comes to dealing with their own kind." —Luke 16:8

The people of the world are usually charged up. They are in overdrive to make money and satisfy their carnal desires. It is nothing to work fifty, sixty, or more hours a week. Some even work two jobs. They'll stay up all night just to get a buzz. Almost no sacrifice seems too great to get ahead or feel high.

Jesus says that we Christians should have that kind of initiative and drive — not motivated by carnal desires but by God's love. If we spread the good news with the fervor in which the world markets the bad news, what an evangelism-explosion would result! If we stayed up all night praying while the world was preying, what victory we would see! The good news doesn't look so good if not proclaimed with abandon.

Jesus said: "I have come to light a fire on the earth. How I wish the blaze were ignited! I have a baptism to receive. What anguish I feel till it is over!" (Lk 12:49-50) Let's run out of the upper room. May our walk match our talk. We need a new Pentecost to conquer the world (1 Jn 5:5).

Prayer: Jesus, I'm sorry for not running down the street telling of You, Your crucified love, and resurrection-power.

Promise: "I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ had done through me to win the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, with mighty signs and marvels, by the power of God's Spirit." —Rm 15:18-19

Praise: St. Charles advised others to meditate in order to "find the strength to bring Christ to birth in ourselves and in others."

[annalex]

Lk 16:1-8
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
1	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.	dicebat autem et ad discipulos suos homo quidam erat dives qui habebat vilicum et hic diffamatus est apud illum quasi dissipasset bona ipsius
2	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.	et vocavit illum et ait illi quid hoc audio de te redde rationem vilicationis tuae iam enim non poteris vilicare
3	And the steward said within himself: What shall I do, because my lord taketh away from me the stewardship? To dig I am not able; to beg I am ashamed.	ait autem vilicus intra se quid faciam quia dominus meus aufert a me vilicationem fodere non valeo mendicare erubesco
4	I know what I will do, that when I shall be removed from the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.	scio quid faciam ut cum amotus fuero a vilicatione recipiant me in domos suas
5	Therefore, calling together every one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first: How much dost thou owe my lord?	convocatis itaque singulis debitoribus domini sui dicebat primo quantum debes domino meo
6	But he said: An hundred barrels of oil. And he said to him: Take thy bill and sit down quickly and write fifty.	at ille dixit centum cados olei dixitque illi accipe cautionem tuam et sede cito scribe quinquaginta
7	Then he said to another: And how much dost thou owe? Who said: An hundred quarters of wheat. He said to him: Take thy bill and write eighty.	deinde alio dixit tu vero quantum debes qui ait centum choros tritici ait illi accipe litteras tuas et scribe octoginta
8	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.	et laudavit dominus vilicum iniquitatis quia prudenter fecisset quia filii huius saeculi prudentiores filiis lucis in generatione sua sunt

[annalex]

St. Carlo Borromeo

Orazio Borgianni
1610 - 1616

[annalex]

None of the two homilies fully satisfy me in explaining the parable of the unjust steward. The missing piece is that the practice of discounting bad debt is a good business practice, particularly if the business is in some kind of trouble. We should not be presuming that Jesus was not aware of this reality of commerce. The other missing piece is that the central message here is that forgiveness of confessed sins is one of the essential functions of the Church.

The rich man's estate was in trouble and the steward, responsible at least partly for the trouble, acts prudently and rationally by discounting bad debt and restoring the cash flow. This is the literal story. The allegorical meaning is that the Church in her crisis should increase its effort to be the conduit of divine mercy. Mercy, not pharisaic accountant's justice is what saves the world.