An Honorable Cause

Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Philippians 3:17—4:1

Join with others in being imitators of me, brothers and sisters, 
and observe those who thus conduct themselves 
according to the model you have in us.
For many, as I have often told you 
and now tell you even in tears, 
conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Their end is destruction.
Their God is their stomach; 
their glory is in their “shame.”
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven, 
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified Body 
by the power that enables him also 
to bring all things into subjection to himself.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, 
in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.  
 

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5

R. (1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

 

Alleluia 1 John 2:5

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever keeps the word of Christ,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 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.”

- - -

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

An Honorable Cause

November 7, 2026 // Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 16:9-15

Reflect on the Word //

Our car chugged up the winding hill, dusty from the back roads and a long week of camping. As a nine-year-old, my heart was full from days of amusement park rides, cousin time, and freedom to run around. It was Sunday morning and thanks to a Google search of churches in the area, we stumbled upon a hidden gem: a Benedictine monastery in rural Indiana. We wandered around the grounds in awe, following the bell towers to the church. 

The Mass was even more beautiful. The melodic unity of the monks' voices washed over me, and wonder struck me as I pondered all that my mom had told me earlier in the car about the monks. My little head couldn’t quite wrap around the fact that this was their home, their work, their family, and their mission partners. This was their everything.

The Lord’s presence can be so tangibly felt in the midst of religious brothers and sisters for many reasons. One of the most notable is the visible sacrifice of their worldly lives. Their prayer and example lead many to realize that what Jesus tells us in the Gospel is still true today. 

“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” (Luke 16:13). To serve means to recognize an honorable cause and devote yourself to it. The soldiers in history willing to die for their nation’s cause did not often switch sides, but when they did, it was steeped in deep betrayal. 

We cannot be fickle about serving our Lord. 

The world can entice us to strive with vanity toward beauty, with greed toward wealth, and with ambition toward fame, but these causes lie to us, speaking of the top of the ladder, when we will never really reach the final rung. The Lord’s cause is honorable and truthful. In serving this Master, we will be saved.

Relate to the Lord // Think of ways to express your devotion to the Lord today. Consider a visit to the Blessed Sacrament and accompany your Master there.

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