First reading Amos 6:1,4-7 The almighty Lord says this: Woe to those ensconced so snugly in Zion and to those who feel so safe on the mountain of Samaria, those famous men of this first of nations to whom the House of Israel goes as client. Lying on ivory beds and sprawling on their divans, they dine on lambs from the flock, and stall-fattened veal; they bawl to the sound of the harp, they invent new instruments of music like David, they drink wine by the bowlful, and use the finest oil for anointing themselves, but about the ruin of Joseph they do not care at all. That is why they will be the first to be exiled; the sprawlers? revelry is over.Psalm Psalm 145:6-10 My soul, give praise to the Lord. or Alleluia! It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever, who is just to those who are oppressed. It is he who gives bread to the hungry, the Lord, who sets prisoners free, My soul, give praise to the Lord. or Alleluia! It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind, who raises up those who are bowed down, the Lord, who protects the stranger and upholds the widow and orphan. My soul, give praise to the Lord. or Alleluia! It is the Lord who loves the just but thwarts the path of the wicked. The Lord will reign for ever, Zion?s God, from age to age. My soul, give praise to the Lord. or Alleluia!Second reading 1 Timothy 6:11-16 As a man dedicated to God, you must aim to be saintly and religious, filled with faith and love, patient and gentle. Fight the good fight of the faith and win for yourself the eternal life to which you were called when you made your profession and spoke up for the truth in front of many witnesses. Now, before God the source of all life and before Christ, who spoke up as a witness for the truth in front of Pontius Pilate, I put to you the duty of doing all that you have been told, with no faults or failures, until the Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who at the due time will be revealed by God, the blessed and only Ruler of all, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who alone is immortal, whose home is in inaccessible light, whom no man has seen and no man is able to see: to him be honour and everlasting power. Amen.Gospel Acclamation Jn10:27 Alleluia, alleluia! The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, says the Lord, I know them and they follow me. Alleluia!Or 2Co8:9 Alleluia, alleluia! Jesus Christ was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty. Alleluia!Gospel Luke 16:19-31 Jesus said to the Pharisees, ?There was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and feast magnificently every day. And at his gate there lay a poor man called Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man?s table. Dogs even came and licked his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. ?In his torment in Hades he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off with Lazarus in his bosom. Mediation: Lazarus . . . would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the . . . table. (Luke 16:20, 21) There are two issues at the heart of today?s Gospel reading: eternal life and caring for the poor. Of course, faith and baptism is the way to eternal life. But at the same time, the way we treat each other, especially the neediest among us, is just as important to our salvation. It?s always good to give money to charitable organizations, but our heavenly Father is looking for something beyond simply writing a check. He is looking for people who will welcome the poor into their hearts?something the rich man in this parable never did. He is looking for people who will treat the needy with the same dignity and attention they give to the wealthy and satisfied. Jesus told this parable to show that our faith is not individualistic. As children of God, we are all members of the same family. Rich or poor, we all belong to each other, and our Father expects us to treat each other with equal love, compassion, and dignity. Our mission is to be Christ for each other. It is to save those who are lost?those who are spiritually lost and those who are lost in grief, anxiety, addiction, or bitterness. It is to feed the hungry?those who are hungry for the love of God and those who don?t know where their next meal will come from. It is to shelter the homeless?those who are far from their heavenly home and those who have no roof over their heads. In short, our mission is to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters, just as Jesus laid down his life for us. So let?s become the Church that Jesus has called us to be. Let?s put our faith into action by being a people who give. God promises that the more freely we give of our time, our money, and our hearts, the more blessings we ourselves will find. “Jesus, give me your heart of love and compassion. Teach me to be generous toward all of my brothers and sisters.”
Posted on: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 09:10:47 +0000
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