Lector: Our first reading is from the Book of Amos. 

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Hear this, you who desire to live off the needy, and cause the poor of the land to fail, saying, “When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath is over, that we may sell our wheat, charging higher prices for smaller portions, and thus, tilting the scales in our favor. That way, we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and even make a profit on the chaff of the wheat.” YHWH has sworn by the pride of Jacob, saying: “Surely, I will never forget a single thing you have done.”

 

Lector: Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
People Respond: Thanks be to God.

 

 

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Responsorial Psalm

 

Lector: Our response is - Praise Yahweh, who lifts up the poor.
People Repeat: Praise Yahweh, who lifts up the poor.

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Give praise, you servants of Yahweh,

Praise the Name of Yahweh!

Blessed be the Name of Yahweh,

from this time forth and forevermore!

People Repeat: Praise Yahweh, who lifts up the poor.

 

Yahweh is high above all nations,

his glory transcends above the heavens!

Who is like you, Yahweh, our God, who has his seat on high,

who stoops down to see the sky and the earth!

People Repeat: Praise Yahweh, who lifts up the poor.

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Yahweh raises the poor out of the dust,

and lifts up the needy from the ash heap

To give them a place at the table with rulers,

with the leaders of your people.

People Repeat: Praise Yahweh, who lifts up the poor.

 

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Lector: Our second reading is from the First Letter of Paul to Timothy. 

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First of all, I urge that prayers be offered for everyone - petitions, intercessions, and thanksgiving - especially for rulers and those in authority. In that way, we may be able to live godly and reverent lives in peace, with lives of prayer and serious work. This is a good thing to do.

 

Our God who saves us accepts these prayers. He wants everyone to be saved and to reach full knowledge of the truth. For there is only one God. And there is only one mediator between God and humankind - Christ Jesus, who was one of us, and who, at the proper time, sacrificed himself as a ransom and testimony for all people.

 

Because of this, I have been appointed to be a preacher, an apostle and - this is the truth - this is not a lie - he sent me, as teacher of the Gentiles, about our faith and God’s truth.

 

And so, it is my wish, then, that in every place, people should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or dissension.

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Lector: Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
People Respond: Thanks be to God.

 

 

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Gospel Acclamation

 

Celebrant chants: Alleluia
People Respond (with chant): Alleluia.
Celebrant: Though our Savior, Jesus the Christ, was rich, he became poor, so that by his poverty, you might become rich.
People Respond (with chant): Alleluia.

 

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Gospel

 

Celebrant: Our God is with you.
People Respond: And also, with you.
Celebrant: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.
People Respond: † Praise to you, Jesus the Christ.

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Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a wealthy landowner, who, having received reports of a steward mismanaging property and wasting the landowner’s possessions. Having summoned the steward, the landowner said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give me an account of your service because it’s about to come to an end.’ The steward thought to himself, ‘What will I do next, since my employer is about to fire me? I’m not strong enough to ditches, and I am too proud to take up begging. I know what I will do, so that when my employer dismisses me from my job, I will have a way for my employer’s clients to take me into their homes.’

 

And so, the steward individually called in each one of the landowner’s debtors of his master. He said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ The first debtor said, ‘One hundred jars of oil’ The steward said to him, ‘Take your invoice, sit down quickly, and make it 50.’ To another the steward said, ‘How much do you owe?’ And the second debtor answered, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’ The steward said to him, ‘Take your invoice and make it 80.’

 

Upon hearing this, the landowner gave this devious, former worker credit for being so enterprising! Why? Because the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are children of the light. And so, I say to you: make friends for yourselves with immoral and dishonest wealth of this world, 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; whereas 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 worship both God and money.

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Celebrant: My friends, the Gospel of the Lord.
People Respond: Praise to you, Jesus the Christ.

 

 

 

Prayers of the People

 

Celebrant: Let us now pray that God will answer our prayers for all in our world, regardless of wealth or possessions.:

Lector: Our response is, “Loving God, hear our prayer.”

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That we may be good stewards of the gifts God has given us: For our willingness to share our blessings freely for God’s glory, while never becoming possessed by our possessions; for this, we pray:

People Respond: Loving God, hear our prayer.

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For the attention of civic leaders to the needs of the marginalized and disenfranchised; for this, we pray:

People Respond: Loving God, hear our prayer.

 

For all who live in poverty: that God will lift their burden and help them find ways of meeting their needs; for this, we pray:

People Respond: Loving God, hear our prayer.

 

For an end to the war in Ukraine and an end to all hatred, that peace may come to all parts of our troubled world; for this, we pray:

People Respond: Loving God, hear our prayer.

 

That we will see Jesus in the unsheltered and disenfranchised, in the immigrant and refugee; in the imprisoned and abused; in those who mourn, and in those who have lost their faith; for this, we pray:

People Respond: Loving God, hear our prayer.

 

We pause to remember names of those who suffer with illness and those who have asked for our prayers [Lector, please count to 6]. We ask that God’s healing love touch them and restore them to fullness of life; for this, we pray:

People Respond: Loving God, hear our prayer.

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We pause to remember names of our deceased loved ones and friends who have died [Lector, please count to 6]. We ask that God meet all who have died face-to-face on their journey, and that they may be forever held in His loving arms; for this, we pray:​

People Respond: Loving God, hear our prayer.

 

For prayers left unspoken, and held deep, within the silence of our hearts; for this, we pray:

People Respond: Loving God, hear our prayer.

 

Celebrant: God of generosity and love, you know our hearts, and you call us to be faithful and remember the needs of the poor at all times. Make us wise and prudent so that we may be faithful to our commitment as followers of Jesus. We ask this through Jesus the Christ. Amen.

 

All: Amen.