Credit Our Community

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to celebrate and credit our connection to a community as a primary source of life and love.

Community Action

In the Reading from the Letter to the Romans, Paul offers Greetings and prays a Doxology.

* [16:1–23] Some authorities regard these verses as a later addition to the letter, but in general the evidence favors the view that they were included in the original. Paul endeavors through the long list of greetings (Rom 16:3–16, 21–23) to establish strong personal contact with congregations that he has not personally encountered before. The combination of Jewish and Gentile names dramatically attests the unity in the gospel that transcends previous barriers of nationality, religious ceremony, or racial status.

* [16:25–27] This doxology is assigned variously to the end of Rom 14; 15; 16 in the manuscript tradition. Some manuscripts omit it entirely. Whether written by Paul or not, it forms an admirable conclusion to the letter at this point.

* [16:25] Paul’s gospel reveals the mystery kept secret for long ages: justification and salvation through faith, with all the implications for Jews and Gentiles that Paul has developed in the letter. (Romans, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 145 declares the “works of God” make God present and invite human praise.

* [Psalm 145] A hymn in acrostic form; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic poems usually do not develop ideas but consist rather of loosely connected statements. The singer invites all to praise God (Ps 145:1–3, 21). The “works of God” make God present and invite human praise (Ps 145:4–7); they climax in a confession (Ps 145:8–9). God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship (Ps 145:10–20), a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity. (Psalms, PSALM 145 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke presents an Application of the Parable of the Dishonest Steward.

* [16:8b–13] Several originally independent sayings of Jesus are gathered here by Luke to form the concluding application of the parable of the dishonest steward.

* [16:8b–9] The first conclusion recommends the prudent use of one’s wealth (in the light of the coming of the end of the age) after the manner of the children of this world, represented in the parable by the dishonest steward.

* [16:9] Dishonest wealth: literally, “mammon of iniquity.” Mammon is the Greek transliteration of a Hebrew or Aramaic word that is usually explained as meaning “that in which one trusts.” The characterization of this wealth as dishonest expresses a tendency of wealth to lead one to dishonesty. Eternal dwellings: or, “eternal tents,” i.e., heaven.

* [16:10–12] The second conclusion recommends constant fidelity to those in positions of responsibility.

* [16:13] The third conclusion is a general statement about the incompatibility of serving God and being a slave to riches. To be dependent upon wealth is opposed to the teachings of Jesus who counseled complete dependence on the Father as one of the characteristics of the Christian disciple (Lk 12:22–39). God and mammon: see note on Lk 16:9. Mammon is used here as if it were itself a god.

* [16:14–18] The two parables about the use of riches in chap. 16 are separated by several isolated sayings of Jesus on the hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Lk 16:14–15), on the law (Lk 16:16–17), and on divorce (Lk 16:18).

* [16:14–15] The Pharisees are here presented as examples of those who are slaves to wealth (see Lk 16:13) and, consequently, they are unable to serve God.(Luke, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

Steve Scholer contrasts the “swing for the fences” culture in which we live, and the “go big or go home” swagger that many of our sports stars exude with the wisdom of Mother Teresa.

The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones, was one Mother Teresa read often. It became part of her very essence and being. Attention to the small things, not swinging for the fences, is what is important.

How we go about our daily affairs defines our true relationship with Jesus. Are we the type who does the right thing only when we know others may be watching us? Are we the ones whose charity is measured by whether our names appear on the honor roll of donors? Or, conversely, no matter how big or how small the matter, do we do what Christ calls us to do, to love one another without measuring the cost? (Scholer, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus recommends the foresight, prudence, and ingenuity of the steward,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Mammon is the Hebrew word for 'riches,' just as in Punic the word for 'profit' is mammon. What are we to do? What did the Lord command? 'Make yourselves friends with the mammon of iniquity, so that they too, when you begin to fail, may receive you into eternal shelters.' It is easy, of course, to understand that we must give alms and a helping hand to the needy, because Christ receives it in them... We can understand that we have to give alms and that we must not really pick and choose to whom we give them, because we are unable to sift through people's hearts. When you give alms to all different types of people, then you will reach a few who deserve them. You are hospitable, and you keep your house ready for strangers. Let in the unworthy, in case the worthy might be excluded. You cannot be a judge and sifter of hearts." (excerpt from Sermon 359A.11-12) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27 urges us to take a moment and think about some of our fellow parishioners. For each of them, see if we can name one way that their presence, their gifts, or their prayers have helped people in our church. See if we can find one thing about each of them that we are grateful for.

This weekend at Mass, pay special attention to the people who are there to serve: the ushers, the altar servers, the musicians and deacons and lectors. Each of them is bearing the presence of Christ to their brothers and sisters. Each of them is bringing his love and his grace to them. To you. How can you thank them today?

“Lord, open my eyes to see how powerfully you are at work in my brothers and sisters.” (Meditation on Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that in this Romans passage, Paul greets a great number of people who he knows but he had never been in Rome. Paul sent copies to other communities and Romans 16 was likely sent to Ephesus around this time and people from Coritnth and others including  a woman as an apostle are mentioned. and the “writer” identified is likely the copier of the letter. It was a good letter and he is writing to a community and copies others to protect accuracy. In the Gospel, Luke instructs that If you have received dishonest wealth use it to share with those who do not have. If we try to possess that wealth we will lose it. Friar Jude comments that John and Matthew are tough with the Pharisees, but Luke, a Gentile, is a bit less tough.

Fr. Mike Schmitz celebrates the accomplishment of reading the entire Old Testament and wraps up the books of 2 Maccabees and Wisdom, talking through the key themes of the Old Testament visible in the conclusions to these books. He also discusses the motivation of the Maccabees to defend the temple and maintain its purity as well as uphold God’s honor. Today’s readings are from 2 Maccabees 15, Wisdom 19, and Proverbs 25:21-23

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine, referencing Matthew 5:11, who challenges any temptation we might have to make the Beatitudes only blessings for ourselves, instead of ways that we can become a blessing for others. 

On those who find themselves having others “utter all kinds of evil” against them on account of Jesus or who suffer for carrying the name “Christian,” Jesus is not talking about the so-called war on Christmas, what decorations appear on the winter-season coffee cup, or whether the mall rings with sounds of “Happy holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas.” This is not persecution. This is respect for those who do not identify as Christian. Jesus’s concern is that one welcome the strangers, not hit them over the head with candy canes and tinsel. He is [instead] aware of those who risk their lives to live the gospel. In parts of the world, the practice of Christianity is illegal, churches are bombed, and children are hounded. To be aware of this persecution should prompt his followers to risk their reputations to make peace when others in their neighborhoods—the people without the tree in the living room or the lights by the door—are persecuted for being different. (Rohr, n.d.)

We praise God and seek the help of the Spirit to celebrate the diverse community of the children of God with whom we labour in the vineyard to share love, care and compassion.

References

Luke, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 8, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/16?9 

Meditation on Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved November 8, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/11/08/1425337/ 

Psalms, PSALM 145 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 8, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/145?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC.org. Retrieved November 8, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/living-the-sermon-on-the-mount-weekly-summary/ 

Romans, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 8, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/16?3 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Who Will Entrust to You the True Riches? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 8, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Scholer, S. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved November 8, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-november-8-2025 

Clever as Christians

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today assert the necessity for Christians to exercise their gift of cleverness as a Way to bring justice and compassion to our environment.

Action for Change

In the Letter to the Romans, Paul asserts his role as Apostle to the Gentiles.

* [15:14–33] Paul sees himself as apostle and benefactor in the priestly service of the gospel and so sketches plans for a mission in Spain, supported by those in Rome.

* [15:14] Full of goodness: the opposite of what humanity was filled with according to Rom 1:29–30.

* [15:19] Illyricum: Roman province northwest of Greece on the eastern shore of the Adriatic.

* [15:20] I aspire: Paul uses terminology customarily applied to philanthropists. Unlike some philanthropists of his time, Paul does not engage in cheap competition for public acclaim. This explanation of his missionary policy is to assure the Christians in Rome that he is also not planning to remain in that city and build on other people’s foundations (cf. 2 Cor 10:12–18). However, he does solicit their help in sending him on his way to Spain, which was considered the limit of the western world. Thus Paul’s addressees realize that evangelization may be understood in the broader sense of mission or, as in Rom 1:15, of instruction within the Christian community that derives from the gospel.

* [15:21] The citation from Is 52:15 concerns the Servant of the Lord. According to Isaiah, the Servant is first of all Israel, which was to bring the knowledge of Yahweh to the nations. In Rom 9–11 Paul showed how Israel failed in this mission. Therefore, he himself undertakes almost singlehandedly Israel’s responsibility as the Servant and moves as quickly as possible with the gospel through the Roman empire. (Romans, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 98 extolls God for Israel’s victory.

* [Psalm 98] A hymn, similar to Ps 96, extolling God for Israel’s victory (Ps 98:1–3). All nations (Ps 98:4–6) and even inanimate nature (Ps 98:7–8) are summoned to welcome God’s coming to rule over the world (Ps 98:9). (Psalms, PSALM 98 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke presents the Parable of the Dishonest Steward.

* [16:1–8a] The parable of the dishonest steward has to be understood in the light of the Palestinian custom of agents acting on behalf of their masters and the usurious practices common to such agents. The dishonesty of the steward consisted in the squandering of his master’s property (Lk 16:1) and not in any subsequent graft. The master commends the dishonest steward who has forgone his own usurious commission on the business transaction by having the debtors write new notes that reflected only the real amount owed the master (i.e., minus the steward’s profit). The dishonest steward acts in this way in order to ingratiate himself with the debtors because he knows he is being dismissed from his position (Lk 16:3). The parable, then, teaches the prudent use of one’s material goods in light of an imminent crisis.

* [16:6] One hundred measures: literally, “one hundred baths.” A bath is a Hebrew unit of liquid measurement equivalent to eight or nine gallons.

* [16:7] One hundred kors: a kor is a Hebrew unit of dry measure for grain or wheat equivalent to ten or twelve bushels. (Luke, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

Sue Calef suggests that perhaps by reflection on our own identities: are we, simply children of this world, accepting and acting in accord with the “shrewd” ways of the world and these times, the ways and means of mere self-interest?

Perhaps by reflection on our own economic realities: what is my/our relation to unjust wealth? What is my relationship to money? How much wealth accumulation is enough? Every budget is a moral document, and so, what does my personal budget indicate about my values and priorities? What do our state and federal budgets reveal about our values our, priorities, and whose needs count for us? How am I/we complicit, albeit often inadvertently, in the “ways of the world” that drive poverty, exclusion, hard-heartedness, hatred, violence to others and to our earth-home?

Perhaps by reflection on the recurring Spirit-question in Luke’s Gospel: What shall I do? What shall we do together? (Calef, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus recommends the foresight, prudence, and ingenuity of the steward,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Why did the Lord Jesus Christ present this parable to us? He surely did not approve of that cheat of a servant who cheated his master, stole from him and did not make it up from his own pocket. On top of that, he also did some extra pilfering. He caused his master further loss, in order to prepare a little nest of quiet and security for himself after he lost his job. Why did the Lord set this before us? It is not because that servant cheated but because he exercised foresight for the future. When even a cheat is praised for his ingenuity, Christians who make no such provision blush. I mean, this is what he added, 'Behold, the children of this age are more prudent than the children of light.' They perpetrate frauds in order to secure their future. In what life, after all, did that steward insure himself like that? What one was he going to quit when he bowed to his master's decision? He was insuring himself for a life that was going to end. Would you not insure yourself for eternal life?" (excerpt from 359A.10.) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Romans 15:14-21 comments on the life of Peter Wu Guosheng who is credited with bringing more than six hundred people to the Lord. But his efforts also brought the attention of the authorities, who considered the Catholic faith a threat.

Can you let the Spirit do something similar in you? Can you surrender to him the goodness and the desire to serve God that are already in your heart—even if it feels like it’s just a tiny flame? Every day invite him in. Let him gradually turn you into the “ordinary saint” God has called you to be!

“Come, Holy Spirit, and fill me with your power and your joy!” (Meditation on Romans 15:14-21, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the actions of Paul to evangelize the Romans in anticipation of the end times and defends the boldness in sending a letter to a community that he did not visit or preach to in his ministry. Paul evangelized where the Gospel had not been preached previously by other evangelists because He believes the end is at hand and he would go where the Gospel has not been heard. Luke’s Gospel presents an odd parable of a stewart who writes of some of the debt owed his master. Cleverness was an important virtue in occupied Israel. Friar Jude notes people sometimes lack cleverness in spiritual matters of prayer, peace, and making Christ our centre.

Fr. Mike Schmitz highlights one of the lessons we've seen time and time again—that God continues to fight for each of us, despite the brokenness and messiness of our lives. He also points out how the reading from Wisdom foreshadows the coming of Jesus. The readings are 2 Maccabees 14, Wisdom 17-18, and Proverbs 25:18-20.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Elias Chacour is a Palestinian Arab-Israeli and a former archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic church in Palestine. At one point in his ministry, Chacour went against the orders of local authorities to build a secondary school to educate the youth in his community in Galilee.

When I understand Jesus’ words in Aramaic, I translate like this: 

Get up, go ahead, do something, move, you who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for you shall be satisfied. 

Get up, go ahead, do something, move, you peacemakers, for you shall be called children of God. 

To me this reflects Jesus’ words and teachings much more accurately. I can hear him saying, “Get your hands dirty to build a human society for human beings; otherwise, others will torture and murder the poor, the voiceless, and the powerless.” Christianity is not passive but active, energetic, alive, going beyond despair…. 

“Get up, go ahead, do something, move,” Jesus said to his disciples. 

 

Ultimately, the secondary school was completed and allowed to stand, despite the lack of official permits for water and electricity. (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the guidance of the Spirit as we act to use the gifts of our intelligence and cleverness to support our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader.

References

Calef, S. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministrues. Retrieved November 7, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-november-7-2025 

Luke, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 7, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/16?1 

Meditation on Romans 15:14-21. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved November 7, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/11/07/1424603/ 

Psalms, PSALM 98 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 7, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/98?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC.org. Retrieved November 7, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/set-yourself-on-the-right-way/ 

Romans, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 7, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/15?14 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Necessity of Prudent Foresight. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 7, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/