The Introit of Mass reads: We have received thy mercy, O God, in the midst of thy temple: According to thy name, so also is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: Thy right hand is full of justice. Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised; in the city of our God, on His holy mountain. (Ps. xlvii.) Glory be to the Father, &c.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH. Grant us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, the spirit of thinking and doing what is right, that we, who cannot even subsist without Thee, may live according to Thee. Through etc.

EPISTLE. (Rom. viii. 12 - 17.) Brethren: We are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you shall die: but if by the spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live. For whosoever are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear: but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry: Abba (Father). For the Spirit himself giveth testimony to our spirit, that we are the sons of God. And if sons, heirs also: heirs indeed of God, and joint--heirs with Christ.


Who live according to the flesh?

Those who follow the evil pleasures and desires of corrupted nature, and do the works of the flesh: impurity, lewdness, gluttony, &c. Such men are not directed by the Spirit of God, who dwells not in the sensual man (Gen. vi. 3.); they are no children of God, will be no heirs of God, and will die the eternal death. But he who is directed by the Spirit of God, and with Him and through Him crucifies his flesh and its concupiscence, is inspired by the Holy Ghost, who then dwells in him, with filial confidence in God, by which he cries: Abba (Father). By this confidence he is assured that he is a child of God, and also an heir of heaven and coheir with Christ. Prove yourself well, my Christian, that you may know whether also you live according to the flesh, and strive to mortify the carnal, sensual desires by prayer and fasting, that you may by such means become a child of God and heir of heaven.

ASPIRATION. Strengthen me, O Lord, that I may not live according to the desires of the flesh, but resist them firmly by the power of Thy Spirit, and that I may not die the eternal death.

GOSPEL. (Luke xvi. 1 - 9.)At That Time: Jesus spoke to His disciples this parable: There was a certain rich man who had a steward: and the same was accused unto him, that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said to him: How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship: for now thou canst be steward no longer. And the steward said within himself: What shall I do, because my lord taketh away from me the stewardship? To dig I am not able; to beg I am ashamed. I know what I will do, that when I shall be removed from the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. Therefore calling together everyone of his lord's debtors he said to the first: How much dost thou owe my lord? But he said: A hundred barrels of oil. And he said to him: Take thy bill and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then he said to another: And how much dost thou owe? Who said: A hundred quarters of wheat. He said to him: Take thy bill, and write eighty. And the lord commended the unjust steward, for as much as he had done wisely: for the children of this world are wiser in their generation, than the children of light. And I say to you: Make unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity, that when you shall fail, they may receive you into everlasting dwellings.


Who are represented by the rich man and his steward?

The rich man represents God, the steward, man. To man God has confided the various goods of body and soul, of nature and grace: the five senses, health, strength of body, beauty, skill, power over others, memory, intellect, free will, faith, intelligence, aspiration, time and opportunity for good, temporal riches, and other gifts. These various goods of body and soul, God gives us not as our own, but as things to be used for His honor and the salvation of man. He will therefore demand the strictest account of us if we use them for sin, luxury, seduction, or oppression of others.


What was Christ's view in relating this parable?

To urge us to works of charity, especially to the actual support of the poor, by giving alms.


What friends do we make by almsgiving?

According to St. Ambrose they are, besides the poor, the saints and angels, even Christ Himself; for that which we give to the poor, we give to Christ. (Matt, xxxv.) And: He that hath mercy on the poor, lendeth to the Lord, and he will repay him. (Prov. xix. 17.) "The hands of the poor," says Peter Chrysologus, "are the hands of Christ." By the hands of the poor we send our riches to heaven, where we will find them after death; for the prayers of the poor like the prayers of the saints, whom we thus make our friends, will decide God to give us the grace to die happily.


Why did his lord commend the steward?

Because of his prudence and foresight, but not for his injustice; for he adds: The children of this world are wiser than the children of light; that is, the earthly minded know better how to manage, and they take more trouble to obtain earthly goods, pleasures, and enjoyments, than do the children of light, the pious, to please God by good works, and to lay up treasures in heaven.


Why is wealth called unjust?

Because riches are often obtained and retained by injustice, often lead man to injustice, and because they are often squandered or unjustly used.

SUPPLICATION. Grant me the grace, O my just God and Judge, that I may so use on this earth the goods confided to me by Thee, that I may make friends, who at my death will receive me into eternal joys.


MORAL LESSONS CONCERNING DETRACTION
And he was accused. (Luke xvi. 1.)

The steward in the gospel was assuredly justly accused on account of his unjust stewardship; but how many there are who lose their good name and honor by false accusations, and are given a bad name by malicious talk! Alas, what great wrongs do detracting tongues cause in this world! How mean a vice is detraction, how seldom is attention paid to its evil, how rarely is the injury repaired!


When is our neighbor's name slandered?

When a vice which our neighbor has not is affixed to his name; when a secret vice or undiscovered crime of our neighbor, is made known with the intention of hurting him, or when our duty does not require us to mention it; when we attribute an evil intention to him or entirely misconstrue his feeling or actions; when his good qualities or commendable actions are denied or lessened, or his merits underrated; when in cases where it is obligatory to speak in his praise, silence is kept, or the praise is only coldly given; when we lend a willing ear to detractions, and no effort is made to stop them, although it could and should be done; or lastly, when joy is felt in the detraction.


Is detraction a great sin?

Yes, for it is directly opposed to the love of our neighbor, therefore to the love of God and hence it is, as St. Ambrose says, hateful to God and man. By it we rob our neighbor of a wealth greater even than riches (Prov. xxii. 1.), and often he is plunged by into want and misery, even into the greatest vices; St. Ambrose says: "Let us fly from the vice of detraction, for it is altogether a satanic abyss, full of deceit." Finally, detraction is a great sin because the injury done by it, is very great and irreparable; for as feathers which are shaken out of a bag, and fly , far and wide, cannot be collected together again, so words of detraction can seldom be called back and rendered harmless.


What should we do when we have committed this sin?

We should as soon as possible recall the detraction and repair the injury done to our neighbor in regard to his name or temporal goods; we should despise this sin, regret it, and be cleansed from it by penance, and as it is difficult to make reparation for detraction, we should daily pray for him whom we have hurt, and in future guard against committing such a great sin.


Are we not allowed ever to reveal the wrongs of our neighbor?

If it is done only for the entertainment of idle people, or for the sake of news, and to satisfy the curiosity of others, it is never allowed, and always a sin. But it is entirely different when after having reproached or advised our neighbor fraternally between him and ourself, but have not obtained our end, we then tell his wrongs, and sins to parents or superiors for the sake of punishment and reformation; this is not only no sin, but rather a good work and a duty, against which those offend who are silent about the sins of their neighbor, when by speaking they could prevent the sin and save him much trouble.


Is it a sin to willingly listen to detractors?

Yes, for we thus give the detractors occasion and encouragement to go on. Therefore St. Bernard says: "Whether detraction is a greater sin than listening to the stealer of a good name, I will not decide. The devil sits on the tongue of the detractor as he does on the ear of the listener." In such cases we must strive to interrupt, to prevent the detracting words, or else to go away; or if we can do none of these, we must show by our sad face our displeasure, for the Holy Ghost says: The Northwind driveth away rain as doth a sad countenance a backbiting tongue. (Prov. xxv. 23.) The same thing is to be observed in regard to improper language.


What varieties of detraction are there?

There is a special, hateful kind of detraction which by witty and sneering words degrades and ridicules others. But still worse is that which carries real or false faults and mistakes of others from one place to another, thus exciting those who are on good terms with each other to hard feeling, or making those who are living in enmity more opposed to each other, by repeating to each the other's remarks. The whisperer and the double tongued, says the Holy Ghost, is accursed, for he hath troubled many that were at peace.


What should keep us from detraction?

The thought of the greatness of this sin; of the difficulty, even impossibility of repairing the injury caused; of the punishment it incurs, for St. Paul expressly says: Calumniators shall not possess the kingdom of God (i. Cor. vi. 10.), and Solomon writes: Suddenly shall rise the destruction of the detractors. (Prov. xxiv. 22.)

SUPPLICATION. Guard me, O most tender Jesus, that blinded neither by hatred nor envy, I may not rob my neighbor, by backbiting, of his good name, or make myself guilty of such a grievous sin.



CONSOLATION FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED FROM DETRACTION

If your good name has been taken away by evil tongues, you may be consoled by knowing that God permits it to humble you, to exercise you in patience and free you from pride and vain self-complacency? Turn your eyes to the saints of the Old and the New Law, to the chaste Joseph, who lies in prison on a false charge of adultery (Gen. xxxix.), to the meek David publicly accused by Semei as a blood-thirsty man (ii. Kings xvi.), to the chaste Susanna, who is also accused of adultery, tried, and condemned to death (Dan. xiii.); above all look upon the Saint of Saints, upon Jesus, who is called a drunkard, accused and condemned as a blasphemer, a friend of the devil, an inciter of sedition among the people, and who like the greatest criminal is nailed to the cross between two thieves. Remember besides that it does you no injury in the sight of God, if all possible evil is said of you, and that He, at all times, cares for those who trust themselves to Him; for he who touches the honor of those who fear God, touches, as it were, the pupil of His eye (Zach. ii. 8.), which He will not allow to pass unpunished.

PRAYER O most innocent Jesus, who wert thus calumniated, I submit myself wholly to Thy divine will, and am ready like Thee, to bear all slanders and detractions, as with perfect confidence I yield to Thy care my good name, convinced that Thou at Thy pleasure wilt defend and protect it, and save me from the hands of my enemies.