Friday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time
Featured Saints
St. Gerald, bishop (†1123). A man of admirable simplicity; he was outstanding for his humility as canon regular of St. Augustine, and even more so as Bishop of Béziers, France.
St. Guido Maria Conforti, bishop (†1931). Founded the Pious Society of St. Francis Xavier (Xaverian Missionaries) in Parma, Italy.
St. Dominic Mâu, priest and martyr (†1858). Dominican beheaded by order of the Emperor Tu Ðúc in Vietnam, being accused of publicly wearing the Rosary and exhorting Christians to witness to the Faith.
Sts. Timothy, Philotheus and Theotimus, martyrs (†307). Syrian youths who, for their Christian Faither, were delivered up to wild beasts in the circus games, in Caesarea Palestinae.
St. Domninus, martyr (†307). Young physician, he was condemned to forced labour in the mines of Mismiya in Caesarea of Palestine during the Diocletian persecution, and later burned alive for refusing to renounce his Faith.
St. Bertille, abbess (†c. 705). First superior of the monastery of Chelles, France, founded by Queen St. Balthild.
Blessed Gregory Lakota, bishop and martyr (†1950). Bishop of Ukrainian origin, he was imprisoned for his Faith, enduring terrible corporeal torments until his death in the concentration camp of Abez, Siberia.
Blessed Gomidas Keumurjian, priest and martyr (†1707). Ordained in the Armenian Church, he firmly upheld the faith professed in the Council of Chalcedon. He endured much persecution and was beheaded while praying the Creed.
Blessed Bernard Lichtenberg, priest and martyr (†1943). Provost of St. Hedwig’s Cathedral in Berlin; for denouncing Nazi errors he was imprisoned for two years and died on the way to Dachau concentration camp.
Mass Readings
First Reading – Rom 15:14-21
I myself am convinced about you, my brothers and sisters,
that you yourselves are full of goodness,
filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another.
But I have written to you rather boldly in some respects to remind you,
because of the grace given me by God
to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles
in performing the priestly service of the Gospel of God,
so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable,
sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast in what pertains to God.
For I will not dare to speak of anything
except what Christ has accomplished through me
to lead the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,
by the power of signs and wonders,
by the power of the Spirit of God,
so that from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum
I have finished preaching the Gospel of Christ.
Thus I aspire to proclaim the Gospel
not where Christ has already been named,
so that I do not build on another’s foundation,
but as it is written:
Those who have never been told of him shall see,
and those who have never heard of him shall understand.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 (R.2b)
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise. R.
Gospel – Lk 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.”
