Daily Reading for Friday, September 17th, 2021

Reading 1, First Timothy 6:2-12

² Those whose masters are believers are not to respect them less because they are brothers; on the contrary, they should serve them all the better, since those who have the benefit of their services are believers and dear to God. This is what you are to teach and urge.

³ Anyone who teaches anything different and does not keep to the sound teaching which is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, the doctrine which is in accordance with true religion,

⁴ is proud and has no understanding, but rather a weakness for questioning everything and arguing about words. All that can come of this is jealousy, contention, abuse and evil mistrust;

⁵ and unending disputes by people who are depraved in mind and deprived of truth, and imagine that religion is a way of making a profit.

⁶ Religion, of course, does bring large profits, but only to those who are content with what they have.

⁷ We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it;

⁸ but as long as we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that.

⁹ People who long to be rich are a prey to trial; they get trapped into all sorts of foolish and harmful ambitions which plunge people into ruin and destruction.

¹⁰ 'The love of money is the root of all evils' and there are some who, pursuing it, have wandered away from the faith and so given their souls any number of fatal wounds.

¹¹ But, as someone dedicated to God, avoid all that. You must aim to be upright and religious, filled with faith and love, perseverance and gentleness.

¹² Fight the good fight of faith and win the eternal life to which you were called and for which you made your noble profession of faith before many witnesses.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 49:6-7, 8-10, 17-18, 19-20

⁶ They trust in their wealth, and boast of the profusion of their riches.

⁷ But no one can ever redeem himself or pay his own ransom to God,

⁸ the price for himself is too high; it can never be

⁹ that he will live on for ever and avoid the sight of the abyss.

¹⁰ For he will see the wise also die no less than the fool and the brute, and leave their wealth behind for others.

¹⁷ when he dies he will take nothing with him, his wealth will not go down with him.

¹⁸ Though he pampered himself while he lived -- and people praise you for looking after yourself-

¹⁹ he will go to join the ranks of his ancestors, who will never again see the light.

²⁰ In prosperity people lose their good sense, they become no better than dumb animals.