|
In the Reading from the Book of the Prophet Amos
Am 8:4-7
Amos of Tekoa (750 B.C.) is the well-known prophet of social justice. Though living in the Southern Kingdom, he went to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the sanctuary of Bethel, where he delivered his message. Imagine that during the worship service in your church, a stranger would stand up and address the congregation as Amos did! ("New moon" and "sabbath": the first day of each lunar month and the sabbath were days of rest; the "ephah" was a standard of measure.) Small wonder that the priest of the sanctuary told Amos to leave.
God's word is that we should be concerned about the rights and needs of fellow humans. God is!
The Responsorial Psalm is that that we put our trust in Jesus because of his love and kindness and that he has done great things for us, so we should be filled with joy and love for him and to be like him
in your self-giving. He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill he lifts up the poor.
In the Reading, From the Letter of Saint Paul toTimothy
1 Tm 2:1-8
Our petitions during Mass should be universal, not only for the needs of the congregation. We pray that all human beings may be saved. We pray for our politicians and those in authority, that they may do an honest job. Do you try to make the petitions your prayer?
In the Gospel of Luke
Lk 16:1-13, or 16:10-13
The Longer Form of today's Gospel consists of the parable of the wily manager. Notice that the owner, Jesus, does not praise the dishonesty of the manager, but rather his cleverness in acting decisively in a moment of crisis. The second part consists of statements on the right use of money. Since this is the topic of the First Reading, and the shorter form restricts itself to these statements, obviously the Church wants to focus our attention on these statements concerning trustworthiness.
"You can not serve both God and mammon": the meaning is obvious. If you sever the management of your possessions from your religious faith, you will soon be going by a double standard. The motto "To each his/her own" should be our guide whenever we handle money and do business. Only then can God trust us!
Newsy Notes
***********************************************
Deacon Bob Brazier, CRE
*************************************************
CONFIRMATION SERVICE PROJECTS
Service Projects for confirmation are completed over the summer
and due at the September meeting after school begins again.
We have created a God is Love Service Project Handbook
that outlines the details of how to complete
this requirement for confirmation.
Service Projects can be done in a group, individually, or with family.
Click below for a copy of the God is Love Service Project Handbook:
SERVICE PROJECT GOD IS LOVE HANDBOOK
After the Project is completed, a Service Project Form
needs to be filled out and turned in at the September group meeting.
Click below for a copy of the Service Project Report Form:
GROUP SERVICE PROJECT REPORT FORM
| 
