20261107 PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL
07 November 2026, Saturday, 31st Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Philippians 4:10-19 |
With the help of the One who gives me strength, there is nothing I cannot master
It is a great joy to me, in the Lord, that at last you have shown some concern for me again; though of course you were concerned before, and only lacked an opportunity. I am not talking about shortage of money: I have learnt to manage on whatever I have, I know how to be poor and I know how to be rich too. I have been through my initiation and now I am ready for anything anywhere: full stomach or empty stomach, poverty or plenty. There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength. All the same, it was good of you to share with me in my hardships. In the early days of the Good News, as you people of Philippi well know, when I left Macedonia, no other church helped me with gifts of money. You were the only ones; and twice since my stay in Thessalonika you have sent me what I needed. It is not your gift that I value; what is valuable to me is the interest that is mounting up in your account. Now for the time being I have everything that I need and more: I am fully provided now that I have received from Epaphroditus the offering that you sent, a sweet fragrance – the sacrifice that God accepts and finds pleasing. In return my God will fulfil all your needs, in Christ Jesus, as lavishly as only God can.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 111(112):1-2,5-6,8,9 |
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Happy the man who fears the Lord,
who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth;
the children of the upright are blessed.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
The good man takes pity and lends,
he conducts his affairs with honour.
The just man will never waver:
he will be remembered for ever.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
With a steadfast heart he will not fear.
Open-handed, he gives to the poor;
his justice stands firm for ever.
His head will be raised in glory.
Happy the man who fears the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Ac16:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 16:9-15 |
Use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?
‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’
PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [PHILIPPIANS 4:10-19; LUKE 16:9-15]
In the Gospel, the Lord declares, “No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.” Is this choice really necessary? Can we not be rich and yet serve God? What about those who are blessed with riches–are they not saved?
Riches themselves are not obstacles to finding life; rather, it is how we make use of them. St. Paul, writing to Timothy, advised him: “As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.” (1 Tim 6:17-19)
This, precisely, is the point of today’s Gospel reading. What the Lord condemns is not those who are rich, but those who become slaves to money. This was the case with the scribes and Pharisees: “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.'” Indeed, when money becomes our master, we lose our priorities and our focus in life. As St. Paul warns us, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.” (1 Tim 6:10)
Rather, we are called to be like the dishonest steward who knew how to use money for a greater future good. Even his master commended him for his resourcefulness: “And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.” (Lk 16:8) Jesus reiterated this principle of how money should be used, saying, “I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity.” Money is intended for building relationships and making people feel loved and cared for. It must be used for others, not merely for ourselves. When money is used to give life to others, it becomes a servant at our disposal rather than our master.
Most of all, money should serve the spread of the Gospel. Those of us with resources must use them for the proclamation of the Good News. This is precisely what the Christians in Philippi did. They assisted St. Paul financially so he could continue his mission, coming to his aid whenever he needed help. St. Paul was ever grateful for their generosity: “In the early days of the Good News, as you people of Philippi well know, when I left Macedonia, no other church helped me with gifts of money. You were the only ones; and twice since my stay in Thessalonika you have sent me what I needed.” Later, he affirmed that they had not forgotten him: “Now for the time being I have everything that I need and more: I am fully provided now that I have received from Epaphroditus the offering that you sent, a sweet fragrance–the sacrifice that God accepts and finds pleasing.” How many of us are as generous as the Philippians in extending our resources to help other Christian communities build up the faith of their people? Without their support, it would have been far more difficult for St. Paul to devote himself fully to preaching and teaching the Gospel.
Thus, the wealth with which the Lord has blessed us must be employed as a partnership in proclaiming the Gospel. This also means using our money in service of the poor, as the Psalmist reminds us: “The good man takes pity and lends, he conducts his affairs with honour. The just man will never waver: he will be remembered for ever. With a steadfast heart he will not fear. Open-handed, he gives to the poor; his justice stands firm for ever. His head will be raised in glory.” Giving to the poor is another way of helping to proclaim the Gospel indirectly. When we love our money more than the poor, we become poor in love; instead of being possessed by love, we allow money to possess us.
When we use our wealth for the spread of the Gospel, we act as responsible stewards of God’s grace. We are called to be faithful caretakers of what the Lord has entrusted to us. Using these resources well demonstrates our character, values, and generosity of heart; it reveals whether we are serving God or mammon. As the Lord said, “The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?” Truly, there are far more important things in life than money.
Genuine riches consist in serving God and our fellow human beings. The true riches the Lord desires to give us are peace, love, joy, generosity, and goodness (cf. Gal 5:22)–the fruits of the Spirit that come from using money properly. Indeed, there is a Jewish saying: “The rich help the poor in this world, but the poor help the rich in the world to come.” If God gives us riches, it is so that we may help the poor and gain a place in the heart of God in heaven. And if we are poor, God uses us to help the rich expand their capacity to give. Money, in the final analysis, is merely a means to an end. What is that end, if not using money in such a way that we grow in our capacity to love, experience the joy of sharing with those in need, and receive the grace to manifest God’s presence to them?
Indeed, when people are generous to us, we should thank God not primarily because we are the recipients, but because they have been given the generosity to give and share. Only one who shares in the heart and life of God can give as selflessly as the Lord has given to us. St. Paul wrote to the Philippians: “There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength. All the same, it was good of you to share with me in my hardships.” By alleviating Paul’s hardship, the Philippians demonstrated a capacity to love like God Himself. Therefore, when people are generous to us, we should be most grateful that God has blessed them with the virtue of sharing, for in doing so, they participate in God’s own life and love–a blessing far greater than any earthly wealth. As St. Paul promised them, “In return my God will fulfil all your needs, in Christ Jesus, as lavishly as only God can.” Ultimately, only God can satisfy our deepest desires.
So let us not pursue money–that “tainted” thing–not because it is intrinsically evil, but because a love for it leads us into sin, selfishness, and worldliness. How often do people steal, kill, or ruin their health out of a love for money? How often are beautiful relationships broken because of greed, dishonesty, and deceit? When we love money more than people, we begin to use people for our own gain rather than loving them genuinely.
Instead, like St. Paul, our attitude toward money must be one of contentment: “I have learnt to manage on whatever I have, I know how to be poor and I know how to be rich too. I have been through my initiation and now I am ready for anything anywhere: full stomach or empty stomach, poverty or plenty.” We must practice detachment with regard to material things. When we have them, we should make good use of them; when we do not, we should not crave them. Our sufficiency must be found in Christ alone. In Him, we have everything.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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