Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Lk 16:1-8 Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a stewardwho was reported to him for squandering his property.He summoned him and said,‘What is this I hear about you?Prepare a full account of your stewardship,because you can no longer be my steward.’The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do,now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.I know what I shall do so that,when I am removed from the stewardship,they may welcome me into their homes.’He called in his master’s debtors one by one.To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note.Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’  He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note;write one for eighty.’And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.For the children of this worldare more prudent in dealing with their own generationthan the children of light.”

Lk 15:1-10 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.” So Jesus addressed this parable to them.“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of themwould not leave the ninety-nine in the desertand go after the lost one until he finds it?And when he does find it,he sets it on his shoulders with great joyand, upon his arrival home,he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the same waythere will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repentsthan over ninety-nine righteous peoplewho have no need of repentance. “Or what woman having ten coins and losing onewould not light a lamp and sweep the house,searching carefully until she finds it?And when she does find it,she calls together her friends and neighborsand says to them,‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ In just the same way, I tell you,there will be rejoicing among the angels of Godover one sinner who repents.”

Lk 14:25-33 Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,and he turned and addressed them,“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters,and even his own life,he cannot be my disciple.Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after mecannot be my disciple.Which of you wishing to construct a towerdoes not first sit down and calculate the costto see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundationand finding himself unable to finish the workthe onlookers should laugh at him and say,‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit downand decide whether with ten thousand troopshe can successfully oppose another kingadvancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away,he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way,everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessionscannot be my disciple.”

Lk 14:15-24 One of those at table with Jesus said to him,“Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.”He replied to him,“A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.When the time for the dinner came,he dispatched his servant to say to those invited,‘Come, everything is now ready.’But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.The first said to him,‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it;I ask you, consider me excused.’And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxenand am on my way to evaluate them;I ask you, consider me excused.’And another said, ‘I have just married a woman,and therefore I cannot come.’The servant went and reported this to his master.Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant,‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the townand bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried outand still there is room.’The master then ordered the servant,‘Go out to the highways and hedgerowsand make people come in that my home may be filled.For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”

Lk 14:12-14 On a sabbath Jesus went to dineat the home of one of the leading Pharisees.He said to the host who invited him,"When you hold a lunch or a dinner,do not invite your friends or your brothers or sistersor your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.Rather, when you hold a banquet,invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Mt 5:1-12a When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.He began to teach them, saying:"Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.Blessed are they who mourn,for they will be comforted.Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the land.Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they will be satisfied.Blessed are the merciful,for they will be shown mercy.Blessed are the clean of heart,for they will see God.Blessed are the peacemakers,for they will be called children of God.Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute youand utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.Rejoice and be glad,for your reward will be great in heaven."

Lk 13:31-35 Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”He replied, “Go and tell that fox,‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,for it is impossible that a prophet should dieoutside of Jerusalem.’ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,how many times I yearned to gather your children togetheras a hen gathers her brood under her wings,but you were unwilling!Behold, your house will be abandoned.But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Lk 13:22-30 Jesus passed through towns and villages,teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.Someone asked him,"Lord, will only a few people be saved?"He answered them,"Strive to enter through the narrow gate,for many, I tell you, will attempt to enterbut will not be strong enough.After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,then will you stand outside knocking and saying,'Lord, open the door for us.'He will say to you in reply,'I do not know where you are from.'And you will say,'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.'Then he will say to you,'I do not know where you are from.Depart from me, all you evildoers!'And there will be wailing and grinding of teethwhen you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacoband all the prophets in the Kingdom of Godand you yourselves cast out.And people will come from the east and the westand from the north and the southand will recline at table in the Kingdom of God.For behold, some are last who will be first,and some are first who will be last."

Lk 13:18-21 Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like?To what can I compare it?It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.When it was fully grown, it became a large bushand the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.” Again he said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?It is like yeast that a woman tookand mixed in with three measures of wheat flouruntil the whole batch of dough was leavened.”

Lk 6:12-16 Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,and he spent the night in prayer to God.When day came, he called his disciples to himself,and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,Simon who was called a Zealot,and Judas the son of James,and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.