Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 490
Reading 1
Brothers and sisters:
I rejoice greatly in the Lord
that now at last you revived your concern for me.
You were, of course, concerned about me but lacked an opportunity.
Not that I say this because of need,
for I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself,
to be self-sufficient.
I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances;
I know also how to live with abundance.
In every circumstance and in all things
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,
of living in abundance and of being in need.
I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.
Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.
You Philippians indeed know that at the beginning of the Gospel,
when I left Macedonia,
not a single church shared with me
in an account of giving and receiving, except you alone.
For even when I was at Thessalonica
you sent me something for my needs,
not only once but more than once.
It is not that I am eager for the gift;
rather, I am eager for the profit that accrues to your account.
I have received full payment and I abound.
I am very well supplied because of what I received from you
through Epaphroditus,
“a fragrant aroma,” an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Responsorial Psalm
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
So that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,
so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters
is also trustworthy in great ones;
and the person who is dishonest in very small matters
is also dishonest in great ones.
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,
who will trust you with true wealth?
If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is yours?
No servant can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.”
The Pharisees, who loved money,
heard all these things and sneered at him.
And he said to them,
“You justify yourselves in the sight of others,
but God knows your hearts;
for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.”
Meditation
“Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments!” (Psalm 112:1)
Beloved in the Lord, may God be praised at all times!
On this Saturday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time, let us meditate on Psalm 112. The Psalms are a true school of prayer. They teach us to approach God sincerely, expressing our joys, sufferings, worries, and hopes. Praying with the Psalms means learning to pray from the heart.
This Psalm reminds us of an essential truth: we must always unite what God promises with what He commands. Unfortunately, as Christians, we often love God’s promises more than His commandments. We want Him to bless our activities, protect our families, heal our illnesses, and solve our problems. But are we equally willing to do His will?
Sometimes I smile when I listen to the intentions offered at Mass. Most concern our needs, difficulties, and success. These requests are legitimate, but how often do we ask for the grace of conversion, fidelity to God’s commandments, and genuine love? We often ask God to change our circumstances, but rarely to change our hearts. Yet conversion is essential and requires our cooperation with divine grace.
The psalmist proclaims: “Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments!” He thus reveals that God’s will is the path to true happiness. This happiness does not mean a life without trials, but a life deeply rooted in love and fidelity to God. The Psalm also speaks of powerful descendants. We can understand this as the spiritual fruitfulness of a family that passes on the faith and serves God from generation to generation.
But loving God’s will must above all be expressed through our actions. The Psalm presents the righteous person as generous, charitable, and attentive to the poor. Whoever truly loves God must also love and serve others. Fidelity to God is therefore not limited to prayer or religious practices; it transforms the way we live.
Beloved in the Lord, let us ask ourselves today: Do we seek God mainly for what He can give us, or do we truly love Him for who He is? Following the example of the Virgin Mary, let us learn to embrace His will with confidence. For true happiness does not consist in obtaining everything we want from God, but in loving and doing what He wants.
Let us pray
Heavenly Father, forgive us for so often seeking Your blessings without caring enough about Your will. Through Jesus Christ, Your Son, grant us obedient hearts that love Your commandments and put them into practice. May Your Holy Spirit guide us in our conversion and teach us to live in justice, charity, and fidelity. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Intercession
Lord Jesus, we entrust to You all those who seek happiness only in material possessions. Open their hearts to the joy of living according to Your will. Strengthen Christians who struggle to keep Your commandments, and help families pass on the faith. Make us instruments of Your charity toward the poor and those who suffer. Lord Jesus, teach us to love and fulfill the Father’s will. Amen.
Spiritual exercise
Today, let us slowly reread Psalm 112 and ask ourselves: “In my prayers, do I seek God’s blessings more than the grace to do His will?”
Then, let us identify one of God’s commandments that we find difficult to follow and take one concrete step toward greater fidelity.
MY RESOLUTION: From now on, I want to seek God’s will more than the satisfaction of my own desires, for doing His will is the path to true happiness.
André Kamta Sabang
Community of Disciples of the Living Christ
