First Reading
Amos 8:4-7 (JB)

A reading from the prophet Amos

The Lord God spoke against those who buy the poor for money.

Listen to this, you who trample on the needy

and try to suppress the poor people of the country,

you who say, ‘When will New Moon be over

so that we can sell our corn,

and sabbath, so that we can market our wheat?

Then by lowering the bushel, raising the shekel,

by swindling and tampering with the scales,

we can buy up the poor for money,

and the needy for a pair of sandals,

and get a price even for the sweepings of the wheat.’

The Lord swears it by the pride of Jacob,

‘Never will I forget a single thing you have done.’

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Amos 8:4-7 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of the prophet Amos

Hear this, you that trample on the needy,

and bring to ruin the poor of the land,

saying, “When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain;

and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale?

We will measure out less and charge more,

and tamper with the scales,

buying the poor for silver

and the needy for a pair of sandals,

and selling the sweepings of the wheat.”

The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob:

“Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 112:1-2, 4-8 (JB)

R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.

or

R. Alleluia.

Praise, O servants of the Lord,

praise the name of the Lord!

May the name of the Lord be blessed

both now and for evermore! R.

High above all nations is the Lord,

above the heavens his glory.

Who is like the Lord, our God,

who has risen on high to his throne

yet stoops from the heights to look down,

to look down upon heaven and earth? R.

From the dust he lifts up the lowly,

from the dungheap he raises the poor

to set him in the company of princes,

yes, with the princes of his people. R.

Second Reading
1 Timothy 2:1-8 (JB)

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to Timothy

Let prayers be offered to God for everyone; he wants all people to be saved.

My advice is that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. To do this is right, and will please God our saviour: he wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth. For there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus, who sacrificed himself as a ransom for them all. He is the evidence of this, sent at the appointed time, and I have been named a herald and apostle of it and – I am telling the truth and no lie – a teacher of the faith and the truth to the pagans.

In every place, then, I want the men to lift their hands up reverently in prayer, with no anger or argument.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

1 Timothy 2:1-8 (NRSV)

A reading from the first letter of Paul to Timothy

My dearly beloved,

I urge that supplications, prayers,

intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone,

for kings and all who are in high positions,

so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life

in all godliness and dignity.

This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour,

who desires everyone to be saved

and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God;

there is also one mediator between God and the human race,

Christ Jesus, himself human,

who gave himself a ransom for all;

this was attested at the right time.

For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle,

a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

I am telling the truth, I am not lying.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation
2 Corinthians 8:9 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus Christ was rich but he became poor,

to make you rich out of his poverty.

Alleluia!

2 Corinthians 8:9 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus Christ was rich but he became poor,

to make you rich out of his poverty.

Alleluia!

Gospel
Luke 16:10-13 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

You cannot be slaves both of God and of money.

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘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 Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 16:1-13 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

You cannot be slaves both of God and of money.

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘There was a rich man and he had a steward who was denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.” Then the steward said to himself, “Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.”

‘Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” “One hundred measures of oil” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down straight away and write fifty.” To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?” “One hundred measures of wheat” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty.”

‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.

‘And so 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 Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 16:10-13 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke

Jesus said to the disciples,

‘Whoever is faithful in a very little

is faithful also in much;

and whoever is dishonest in a very little

is dishonest also in much.

If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth,

who will entrust to you the true riches?

And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another,

who will give you what is your own?

“No slave can serve two masters;

for a slave will either hate the one and love the other,

or be devoted to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and wealth.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 16:1-13 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke

Jesus said to the disciples,

“There was a rich man who had a manager,

and charges were brought to him

that the manager was squandering his property.

So the rich man summoned him and said to him,

‘What is this that I hear about you?

Give me an accounting of your management,

because you cannot be my manager any longer.’

“Then the manager said to himself,

‘What will I do,

now that my master is taking the position away from me?

I am not strong enough to dig,

and I am ashamed to beg.

I have decided what to do so that,

when I am dismissed as manager,

people may welcome me into their homes.’

“So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one,

he asked the first,

‘How much do you owe my master?’

He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’

He said to him,

‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’

Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’

He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’

He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’

“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.

“And I tell you,

make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth

so that when it is gone,

they may welcome you into the eternal homes.

‘Whoever is faithful in a very little

is faithful also in much;

and whoever is dishonest in a very little

is dishonest also in much.

If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth,

who will entrust to you the true riches?

And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another,

who will give you what is your own?

“No slave can serve two masters;

for a slave will either hate the one and love the other,

or be devoted to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and wealth.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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