EXPLORE THE SUNDAY GOSPEL
The Parable of the Dishonest Steward & Application of the Parable
LK 16:1-13 or LK 16:10-13
(Long form shown here.)
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 the steward said, 'And you, how much do you owe?'
He replied, 'One hundred kors of wheat.'
The steward 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 are the children of light.
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 both God and mammon."
MEET OUR EXTENDED FAMILY
St. Maurice (Feast Day September 22)
d. 287
Maurice was born around the year 250 AD in Egypt. As the commander of the Theban legion, he was asked to aid Emperor Maximian in fighting off a rebellion against the empire. When Maurice discovered they were all Christians, he and his men who were also Christians, refused. When asked to make sacrifice to the Roman gods, he and his men refused. Maximian ordered that Maurice and his unit be punished by having every tenth soldier killed. Maurice and his men still refused, so the emperor ordered another round of executions. Eventually, Maurice and all the men of his legion were executed.
St. Maurice's dedication to protect his fellow Christians led to him being considered the patron saint of soldiers. Artwork depicting St. Maurice often have him in full armor.
TAKE TIME TO CHAT
In today's Gospel, Jesus talks about people who are dishonest or do not tell the truth. Share a time when someone lied to you. How did that make you feel?
What does it mean to be trustworthy? Why does God want us to be trustworthy?
Jesus also talks about the fact that we cannot serve God and mammon, which means wealth or money. If someone is obsessed with getting rich, why is it hard for him/her to serve God?
St. Maurice had to decide whether to follow the orders of Maximian or to do what he knew was right. How does his story connect to today's Gospel?
FAMILY FUN
Build a Bank
In today's Gospel, Jesus talks about debt and wealth. This family activity will help you be better stewards of your resources.
Find a container in your house that you can decorate (old can, sturdy box, etc.). Cut a slit in the top that is big enough for a quarter. Decorate the container with paint, stickers, felt, etc. Alternatively, search the Internet for piggy bank ideas. Put one coin in the container for each member of your family. Put money in it regularly to donate to your parish or a charity.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad
While we cannot serve two masters, we can enjoy these two vegetables together.
1 head broccoli
1 head cauliflower
¾ pound cooked bacon, crumbled
½ cup red onion, chopped
½ cup raisins
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup Miracle Whip
½ cup white sugar
¼ cup white vinegar
Chop up the broccoli and cauliflower and place in a large mixing bowl. Add bacon, onion, raisins, and sunflower seeds. In a smaller bowl, mix Miracle Whip, sugar, and vinegar together. Pour over broccoli and cauliflower mix. Stir and enjoy. Refrigerate if not serving immediately.
FAMILY PRAYER
A Journey Towards You
Knowing that God has entrusted each of us with gifts and talents, pray today that we may use those gifts for the vocations to which he has called us.
God, our Father,
in Baptism you called us by name
making us members of your people,
the Church.
We praise you for your goodness,
We thank you for your gifts.
We ask you to strengthen us
to live in love and service to others
after the example of your Son, Jesus.
Father, look upon your Church with love
and bless your people
with generous single men and women,
with loving husbands and wives,
with understanding parents,
with trusting children
with dedicated priests, sisters,
deacons and brothers.
Help us to see our vocations
as a journey toward you.
You have called us,
not to set us apart,
but to bring us together
with others who need our love.
Make us faithful signs of your
presence in their midst.
We ask you through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer #33 from http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/prayers-for-vocations.cfm
LITURGY LINK
The vessels that are used during the Liturgy of the Eucharist are kept on a special side table until the priest is ready to use them at Mass. This table is called the Credence Table. Locate the one at your church.
FAMILY CHALLENGE
Today's Gospel reminds us of the importance of being truthful.
Try to go the whole week without telling a single lie.
FUN FACTS
The first polygraph (commonly known as a lie detector) was created in 1921, when a California-based policeman and physiologist, John A. Larson, devised an apparatus to simultaneously measure continuous changes in blood pressure, heart rate and respiration rate to detect if someone was lying.
