Dear Parishioners:
---What a Summer we had!!! … Believe it or not, Thursday September 22nd is already the beginning of the Autumn Season. Like a changing of a season, the parish’s life is also changing to a fuller schedule of different activities.
---Please be generous to C.C.H.D. Collection. Today, there’s a second collection; Annually, this special collection comes to our attention in order to challenge us to bring HOPE to the poor and spread the good news of the Gospel to all. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development allocates funds to community projects to support the efforts of low-income people seeking to change the social, political and economic conditions that perpetuate poverty. The Catholic Communication Campaign was created to place the means of communication in service to the truth at the local and national level.
---Religious Education registration is in full bloom in September, please remember to register your children and youth members for continue learning and developing as they advance in age and wisdom in their Faith Life. Ministries to the people of God at St. Gabriel Parish Community are also in need of new members as well. Please look into your heart in prayer and ask … How God’s calling you to grow this year and respond to a ministry that’s meaningful and challenging for you at this time.
--- Today’s Scripture readings see the proper use of material possessions as an essential ingredient in the life of faith. The three sayings of today’s Gospel suggest a contrast between worldly wealth and eternal wealth.
Luke’s parable of the dishonest steward (Lk 16:1-8) must be understood in the light of the Palestinian custom of agents acting on behalf of their masters. The dishonesty of the steward resulted in the squandering of his master’s property. The master commends the dishonest steward who has forgone his own 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 benefit himself with the debtors because he knows he is being dismissed from his position.
The second part of today’s Gospel (Lk 16:8-13), the first conclusion recommends the prudent use of one’s wealth after the manner of the children of this world. The second conclusion recommends constant fidelity to those in positions of responsibility. The third conclusion is a general statement about the incompatibility of serving God and being a slave to riches.
As Christians, we are stewards of what God has given us. We do not own it. In the kingdom, rewards and responsibilities will be given to those who demonstrated faithfulness in their earthly entrustments.
---For Adults who are interested in learning and becoming Catholics, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adult (R.C.I.A.) class has just started last Tuesday and will be meeting every Tuesday at 6:30 -8:30 PM in the Community Room at St. Gabriel Parish.
Christ’s Peace,
Fr. Phuong Hoang