Thursday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time
Featured Saints
St. Hilarion of Gaza, abbot (†circa 371). Following in the footsteps of St. Anthony, he was an example of hermitic life in the region of Gaza. He died in Cyprus at 80 years of age.
St. Viator, deacon (after 481). Disciple and deacon of St. Justus, Bishop of Lyon, whom he followed to Egypt to devote himself to a life of solitude and penance in the desert.
St. Cilinia (†c.458). Mother of the bishops St. Principius of Soissons, and St. Remegius of Rheims.
St. Peter Yu Tae-ch’ol, martyr (†1839). Imprisoned at 13 years
of age, he urged his fellow prisoners to endure torture for the Faith. He was killed in Seoul, South Korea, by strangulation, after being cruelly scourged.
St. Ursula and companions, virgins and martyrs (†fourth century). They suffered martyrdom near Cologne, Germany.
St. Laura of St. Catherine of Siena Montoya, virgin (†1949). Foundress of the Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate and St. Catherine of Siena in Dabeiba, Colombia.
Blessed Peter Capucci, priest (†1445). Outstanding Italian preacher of the Dominican Order, he counselled diligent meditation on death as an efficacious means to avoid sin.
Mass Readings
First Reading – Rom 6:19-23
Brothers and sisters:
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your nature.
For just as you presented the parts of your bodies as slaves to impurity
and to lawlessness for lawlessness,
so now present them as slaves to righteousness for sanctification.
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness.
But what profit did you get then
from the things of which you are now ashamed?
For the end of those things is death.
But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God,
the benefit that you have leads to sanctification,
and its end is eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm – 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night. R.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers. R.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes. R.
Gospel – Lk 12:39-48
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, he will put him
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
