November 7
Saturday, week 31 in Ordinary Time
Year II
Luxembourg : St WILLIBRORD, bishop, secondary patron of Luxembourg
Today’s celebration is known as a 'ferial day' in the Ordinary Time of the Church’s liturgical calendar. The word 'feria' originates from Latin, referring to a regular weekday without an assigned feast of a saint or other special observance. During Ordinary Time, the Church invites the faithful to focus on the daily readings and to draw spiritual sustenance from the ordinary rhythms of worship and life. These simpler days in the calendar remind Catholics that holiness is pursued not only in grand festivals and solemnities, but also in the faithful living out of Christian virtues amidst daily routines.
The green liturgical color of Ordinary Time symbolizes hope and the ongoing growth in faith that characterizes this period. On ferial days, Mass texts and readings are drawn from the lectionary sequence, giving the Church the opportunity to meditate on the breadth of Scripture, especially the life and teachings of Jesus, the Apostles, and the early Church. Ferial days thus allow Christians to journey steadily and prayerfully through the mysteries of faith, aided by the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Church. The rhythm of these 'ordinary' days is foundational, sustaining the spiritual life of the Church in between the great feasts and seasons.
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Questions about Saturday, week 31 in Ordinary Time (Novus Ordo Missae)
Local variations
- Luxembourg — St WILLIBRORD, bishop, secondary patron of Luxembourg
The liturgical day
Mass readings
ReadingPh 4, 10-19
Brothers and sisters,
I have experienced great joy in the Lord
to see your concern for me blossom again:
it was indeed alive,
but you did not have the opportunity to show it.
It is not because of need that I say this,
for I have learned to be content with what I have.
I know how to live with little,
and I also know how to have plenty.
I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation:
whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do all things
through him who strengthens me.
Nevertheless, you did well to share
when I was in difficulty.
You Philippians, you know this:
in the early days of the preaching of the Gospel,
when I left Macedonia,
no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving,
except you alone.
Even in Thessalonica, you sent me help more than once
for my needs.
I do not seek gifts;
what I seek
is the profit that accumulates to your account.
I have received full payment, and I have more than enough;
I am fully supplied, now that Epaphroditus has delivered your gifts:
it is like a fragrant offering,
a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.
And my God will fully meet all your needs according to his riches,
gloriously,
in Christ Jesus.
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 111 (112), 1-2, 5-6, 8a.9
Happy are those who fear the Lord,
who greatly delight in his commands!
Their children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
The good person shows compassion and gives freely;
he conducts his affairs with justice.
Such a man will never be shaken;
the just will be remembered forever.
His heart is confident; he does not fear.
With open hands, he gives to the poor;
his justice stands forever,
his strength will grow, and his glory!
GospelLc 16, 9-15
At that time,
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I tell you this:
Make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,
so that when it fails,
they may welcome you into eternal dwellings.
Whoever is trustworthy in very little
is trustworthy also in much.
Whoever is dishonest in very little
is dishonest also in much.
If you have not been trustworthy with dishonest wealth,
who will trust you with true riches?
And if you have not been trustworthy with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is yours?
No servant can serve two masters:
for either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and money."
When they heard all this, the Pharisees,
who were lovers of money,
ridiculed Jesus.
He said to them:
"You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others,
but God knows your hearts;
for what is prized by humans
is detestable in the sight of God."
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org