A major theme in the Gospel of Luke is the importance of the care of the poor in the life of discipleship. In the parable found in today's Gospel, Jesus contrasts the life of a rich man and the poor man, Lazarus, who lives in the shadow of the rich man and his wealth. Both die. Lazarus finds himself in heaven; the rich man in hell. The rich mar asks for assistance from Lazarus in his torment. Both Abraham reminds the rich man of the good things he had in his life and describes the current situation as a reversal of fortunes.

In the Parable this Sunday, the steward or manager of property of a wealthy man, faces destitution because of his imminent dismissal. In this crisis the manager acts with foresight and resolution, ensuring a secure future. He responds with cleverness to his circumstances and so in a sense is a '' prudent'' man, by worldly standards. His prudent and decisive action is the key idea of today's parable.

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross traces its origin to 4th Century. According to tradition, Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, journeyed to the Holy Land around 326 AD, where she discovered the True Cross, the cross upon which Jesus was crucified. To honor this discovery and mark the sacred sites of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, Constantine ordered the construction of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher. The church was consecrated on September 13, 335 and the next day, September 14, the cross was publicly displayed for veneration. By the 7th Century, this became an annual celebration across Eastern and Western Churches.

The first words we hear from Jesus in this Sunday's Gospel passage might almost startle us. They are spoken by the Lord to convey without the shadow of a doubt, a very important message to his followers. The words of Jesus are these: '' if any one 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.'' Those are very tough words and what are we to make of them? Why does Jesus say we must ''hate'' our loved ones and even ourselves? The strong language used by the Lord stems from his setting and times, what we would now call a Sematic worldview, where very strong language was used to convey a teaching in no uncertain terms. so, without a doubt we can say the term ''hate,'' as we normally understand the word, is not to be taken literally but what is the underlying message?

Jesus' parable about how the guests might strategize to jockey themselves into more prestigious seats is nothing short of comedy. Rather than speak directly about humility, Jesus creates a slightly outrageous story/parable to make his point. Humility is having accurate knowledge of ourselves and accepting ourselves. In the parable, Jesus looks at motives. humility is elusive, it is a slippery fish. in claiming that we have it, we lose it to pride. He challenges his host, the guests, and us to become humble.

In Today's Gospel, Jesus answers a seeker who asks, '' Will only a few be saved'' with '' Strive to enter through the narrow gate...'' Here, the seeker is on the outside and Jesus is on the inside, but in both stories about entrance to life with our God, some effort is required of us who want to be on the same side of the door as Jesus. Whether it is by turning the doorknob and opening it or by walking through the gate, something is required of us.

Jesus said, ''i have come to set the earth on fire and how I wish it were already blazing.'' Jeremiah, the author of the first reading, wrote, '' within me there is something like burning fire shut up in my bones,'' What is it that is burning within? The fire of enthusiasm. enthusiasm sounds almost too weak a word. Athletes can surely appreciate the ''fire in the gut'' feeling. Being ''fired up'' means maximal effort, the absolute best effort within you. There is fire-filled football on the two-yard line - on both sides of the ball that is never exceeded.

The Gospel is from St. Luke 12:32-48. In a few vivid and expressive similes, our Lord tells the disciples and through them, all the followers, how they should conduct their lives on earth so that they would always be found in God's friendship when their call to judgement comes. In answer to a question put to him by Peter, our Lord says that more will be expected of those who have received greater gifts from God than of those who received lesser gifts.

In today's Gospel we see that when it comes to possessions even the best of people often end up losing their heads and become blind and deaf. they see only their interest and are willing to override even the most sacred sentiments. At times, with the help of a wise friend, the parties are able to agree, at other times instead the hatred lasts for years and the brothers stop talking to each other. Jesus was chosen as a mediator to solve one of these family contrasts. The situation presented to him has arisen because one has attempted to commit an injustice and the other is in danger of suffering it.

In today's readings, we are presented with two powerful moments of intercession and prayer. in the first reading from Genesis, we encounter the familiar story of Abraham negotiating with God for the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. in the Gospel from Luke, we hear Jesus teaching His disciples how to pray, offering the Lord's prayer and assuring them of God's generosity in answering prayers. Both readings speak to the nature of prayer, particularly the power of intercession and the generosity of God.

In Today's Gospel, we encounter the familiar scene of Jesus visiting the home of Martha and Mary. While Martha is busy with the tasks of serving and preparing for the guest, Mary sits at the feet of Jesus, listening attentively to His words. While Martha complains that Mary is not helping, Jesus gently rebukes her, saying, '' Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her''.

In today's Gospel, we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan, one of the most well-known and impactful teachings of Jesus. The story is simple yet profound: A man is robbed, beaten and left for dead on the side of the road. A priest and Levite pass by, each ignoring the man's plight. But a Samaritan, a figure despised by the jewish people of the time, stops to help the injured man, tending to his wounds and ensuring he receives care. Jesus concludes by asking, '' Which of these three, do you think, was neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?'' The answer, of course, is the one who showed mercy.

In today's Gospel, taken from the Evangelist Luke, we read of the commissioning of the disciples by the Lord. we see that the Lord does something a little bit unusual and perhaps for our modern standards, a bit inefficient! He sends his disciples out two-by-two. Why would the Lord do this? with all the ground that He has to cover, with all the souls that need to hear the message of the Kingdom of God, why wouldn't He just send them out one-by-one? As one homilist put it years ago: '' if these disciples can survive each other, they can survive anything the world, the flesh and the devil can throw at them.