“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 serve God and mammon.” (LK 16: 13)

This is a universal rule. This is about our relationship with God (“you cannot serve God and mammon”); this is about marriage—monogamy; this is about being a gift of self or making demands. “No servant can serve two masters.”

“Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“You are God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.” (1 COR 3: 9-11)

We are God’s creation; we are God’s children, and we “are God’s building.” He takes care of us, sending us the right people—friends, consecrated people and priests to help us to build on Our Lord, Who is the real foundation: “we build upon it.”

“I have chosen and consecrated this house, says the Lord, that my name may be there forever.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” (LK 15: 1-2)

“This man [Our Lord] welcomes sinners and eats with them” and made us His brothers and sisters. We are loved, not because we are perfect or we deserve it, but because we are sinners. Our Lord wants to spend time with us in our daily activities; listening to Him and speaking through daily readings is what we can do.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” (PHIL 2: 14-16)

We know how important our inner dialog is, and especially our mistaken patterns of interpretation in our inner dialog; how destructive “grumbling or questioning” can be. When we give with open hearts and when we give consciously, we can “do everything without grumbling or questioning.”

“If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of God rests upon you.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness;
and, found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” (PHIL 2: 7-8)

We are invited to serve each other through a sincere gift of self, especially when we are married. People sometimes are afraid of being an unconditional gift of self, fearing being a servant. Our Lord gave us an example when “he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,” and expressed in this way the most amazing love.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.” (PHIL 2: 1-2)

How important is our unity! When we are close, trusting each other, “united in heart,” “being of the same mind, with the same love,” we can convert the whole world because we are so strong. Instead of fighting about who is right, it is much better to fight for “being of the same mind.”

“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, says the Lord.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“’He is One and there is no other than he.’ And ‘to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself’ is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (MK 12: 32-33)

“Which is the first of all the commandments?” What is my main identity? Where should I invest all my efforts?—we have many important questions, but the only answers come from our Lord. When we spend time with Him and listen to Him, we know all “which,” “what,” “where” and “how” answers because He knows perfectly why we exist.

“Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord; and my father will love him and we will come to him.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.” (LK 14: 1)

The Lord is always with us; today He also wants to “dine at home” with us. He is hidden but present; He comes as a homeless or poor person; He comes in our friends or strangers, like He visited St. Faustina in Cracow and asked for some food.

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” (JN 6: 40)

Today we celebrate the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls). This is a good reminder for us that we will also die one day, and it is a huge hope “that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life.” Our lives have no end; we were created to “have eternal life” with the Holy Trinity.

“Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Gospel Acclamation)

“Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure.” (1 Jn 3: 2-3)

Our identity is described by the name: “God’s children.” This is the way, how Our God looks at us, how He leads us and protects us. He loves us and this defines everything—our beginning and our final in Heaven. How happy we are!

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.” (Gospel Acclamation)