Reading 1
Phil 4:10-19
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.
Ps 112:1b-2, 5-6, 8a and 9
Responsorial PsalmR.
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.
Gospel
Lk 16:9-15
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: Philippians 4:10-19
“I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.” (Philippians 4:13)
A young mother struggles to be patient with her young children after spending a sleepless night with a sick baby. An office manager scrambles to meet an impossible deadline. A cancer patient endures his next round of chemotherapy. A caregiver tries yet again to make her elderly mother comfortable.
The list could go on. We are all challenged from time to time with circumstances that test the limits of our physical, emotional, and mental resources. St. Paul certainly was. He endured shipwrecks, beatings, and imprisonment as well as the rejection of his message by so many of his own people. And yet he knew that God would give him all the strength he needed to fulfill his calling.
In a concise and powerful way, this one verse reminds us to turn to God and rely on his resources. It tells us that the Lord can give us the strength we need to survive—and even to flourish—in difficult times. What’s more, this passage can help us not just when we are in crisis but in any situation in which we begin to doubt ourselves or our ability to fulfill our calling.
This is why it is so important to keep God’s word in our hearts and minds. When we read, pray, and memorize passages from Scripture, we give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to write them on our hearts. In a way, they become part of us—guiding our behavior, giving us purpose, revealing God’s love and presence in our lives. Truly, Scripture has the power to change us from the inside out!
One way to keep God’s word in the forefront of your mind is to write down one verse each day that makes an impression on you. All day long, keep that verse in visible places around your home or office. As you add to your mental storehouse of Scripture, you will find yourself referring to these passages at key moments—perhaps when you are experiencing temptation, when you find yourself afraid or anxious, or even when you want to praise the Lord because of his love for you. God is always speaking to you in his word. So go ahead and listen!
“Lord, I want to hear you in your word. Inscribe the words of Scripture on my heart so that I can treasure them all the days of my life.”
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