Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 430
Lectionary: 430
Brothers and
sisters:
On the subject of fraternal charity
you have no need for anyone to write you,
for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
Indeed, you do this for all the brothers throughout Macedonia.
Nevertheless we urge you, brothers and sisters, to progress even more,
and to aspire to live a tranquil life,
to mind your own affairs,
and to work with your own hands,
as we instructed you.
On the subject of fraternal charity
you have no need for anyone to write you,
for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
Indeed, you do this for all the brothers throughout Macedonia.
Nevertheless we urge you, brothers and sisters, to progress even more,
and to aspire to live a tranquil life,
to mind your own affairs,
and to work with your own hands,
as we instructed you.
Responsorial PsalmPS 98:1, 7-8, 9
R. (9) The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
GospelMT 25:14-30
Jesus told his
disciples this parable:
“A man going on a journey
called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one–
to each according to his ability.
Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,
and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground
and buried his master’s money.
After a long time
the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received five talents
came forward bringing the additional five.
He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents.
See, I have made five more.’
His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master’s joy.’
Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said,
‘Master, you gave me two talents.
See, I have made two more.’
His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master’s joy.’
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said,
‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person,
harvesting where you did not plant
and gathering where you did not scatter;
so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.
Here it is back.’
His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!
So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant
and gather where I did not scatter?
Should you not then have put my money in the bank
so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
For to everyone who has,
more will be given and he will grow rich;
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’”
“A man going on a journey
called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one–
to each according to his ability.
Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,
and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground
and buried his master’s money.
After a long time
the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received five talents
came forward bringing the additional five.
He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents.
See, I have made five more.’
His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master’s joy.’
Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said,
‘Master, you gave me two talents.
See, I have made two more.’
His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master’s joy.’
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said,
‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person,
harvesting where you did not plant
and gathering where you did not scatter;
so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.
Here it is back.’
His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!
So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant
and gather where I did not scatter?
Should you not then have put my money in the bank
so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
For to everyone who has,
more will be given and he will grow rich;
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’”
Meditation : "The
master will settle his account with them"
What can economics
and productivity teach us about the kingdom of heaven? Jesus' story about a
businessman who leaves town and entrusts his money with his workers made
perfect sense to his audience. Wealthy merchants and businessmen often had to
travel abroad and leave the business to others to handle while they were gone.
Why did Jesus tell this story and what can it teach us? Most importantly it
tells us something about how God deals with us, his disciples and servants. The
parable speaks first of the Master's trust in his servants. While he goes away
he leaves them with his money to use as they think best. While there were no
strings attached, this was obviously a test to see if the Master's workers
would be industrious and reliable in their use of the money entrusted to them.
The master rewards those who are industrious and faithful and he punishes those
who sit by idly and who do nothing with his money. The essence of the parable
seems to lie in the servants' conception of responsibility. Each servant
entrusted with the master's money was faithful up to a certain point. The
servant who buried the master's money was irresponsible. One can bury seeds in
the ground and expect them to become productive because they obey natural laws.
Coins, however, do not obey natural laws. They obey economic laws and become
productive in circulation. The master expected his servants to be productive in
the use of his money.What do coins and the law of economics have to do with the kingdom of God? The Lord entrusts the subjects of his kingdom with gifts and graces and he gives his subjects the freedom to use them as they think best. With each gift and talent, God gives sufficient the means (grace and wisdom) for using them in a fitting way. As the parable of the talents shows, God abhors indifference and an attitude that says it's not worth trying. God honors those who use their talents and gifts for doing good. Those who are faithful with even a little are entrusted with more! But those who neglect or squander what God has entrusted to them will lose what they have. There is an important lesson here for us. No one can stand still for long in the Christian life. We either get more or we lose what we have. We either advance towards God or we slip back. Do you seek to serve God with the gifts, talents, and graces he has given to you?
"Lord Jesus, be the ruler of my heart and thoughts, be the king of my home and relationships, and be the master of my work and service. Help me to make good use of the gifts, talents, time, and resources you give me for your glory and your kingdom."
 Accountability |
|
Saturday of the Twenty-First
Week in Ordinary Time
|
|
Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"A man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted
his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a
third, one -- to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and
made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But
the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his
master´s money. After a long time the master of those servants came back and
settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came
forward bringing the additional five. He said, ´Master, you gave me five
talents. See, I have made five more.´ His master said to him, ´Well done, my
good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will
give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master´s joy.´ Then the one
who had received two talents also came forward and said, ´Master, you gave me
two talents. See, I have made two more.´ His master said to him, ´Well done,
my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I
will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master´s joy.´ Then
the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ´Master, I
knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and
gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried
your talent in the ground. Here it is back.´ His master said to him in reply,
´You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant
and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in
the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now
then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to
everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one
who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant
into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of
teeth.´"
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come to you again in prayer. Even
though I cannot see you, I know through faith that you are present in my
life. I hope in your promise to be with me. I love you, and I know you love
me. Accept this prayer as a token of my love.
Petition: Teach me, Lord, to take all that you have
given me and make it produce fruit for your kingdom.
1. God’s Gifts: The Gospel tells us clearly that God
distributes his gifts among us as he wills, and he entrusts each one of us
with a mission. He gives us what we need to produce fruits for his kingdom,
and he expects us to use those gifts responsibly and diligently. No two
people are exactly alike, and God treats each one individually as a unique
person made in his image. We need to live before God and respond to him
sincerely by using to the maximum the talents he has given us. Are we making
the best use of all that God has given us, or have we neglected some things and
taken others for granted? Might we be committing a sin of omission with
regards to some of our talents?
2. Life as a Mission: The servants who invest the talents and make
a return on them have understood the purpose of their lives and the time they
have at their disposal. These servants were generous with everything their
master had given them, making it bear fruit, and they received from him the
reward of greater intimacy and more responsibility. Each of us is also given
a limited amount of time in life to use our various gifts to give glory to
God and help save other souls. We too should work every day to hear those
words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
3. The Useless Servant: How often we are paralyzed by fear or false
prudence into doing nothing, into trying just to preserve ourselves!
Sometimes we don’t take God’s gifts seriously or think we have been given
very little, and we use that as a rationalization for making no effort or for
producing little for God. We blame circumstances or others; but the fact is
we are neglecting to produce the fruits God wants. The master didn’t expect a
return of five talents from the servant to whom he gave only one. He would
have been happy with a return of one more, but the lazy servant closed in on
his egoism, self-love and laziness. We must resolve to use our God-given
talents wisely so as to net him a big return.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, give me the grace and love to work for
your kingdom with all the talents that you have given me. Let me return them
all to you with real fruits for your kingdom.
Resolution: I will make a plan for evangelizing other
souls and look for fruits of holiness in others
|
SATURDAY, AUGUST 31
MATTHEW 25:14-30
(1Thessalonians 4:9-11; Psalm 98)
MATTHEW 25:14-30
(1Thessalonians 4:9-11; Psalm 98)
KEY VERSE: "Well done, my good and faithful servant" (v 23).
READING: Jesus' parable of the talents was an allegory on good stewardship and the last judgment. In the story, each servant was given a different sum of money to invest. (A talent was a Greek coin worth about 6,000 denarri, equal to a year's wages. A talent's modern day meaning of a special aptitude or gift is derived from the use of the word in this parable.) The first two servants made wise investments and doubled their money. The third servant, fearing his master's rebuke should he fail, buried the money for safe-keeping. When the master returned, each individual was asked to give an account of their investments. The wise servants were rewarded for their fidelity. They were given even greater responsibilities, and were invited to the heavenly banquet. The third servant was punished, losing the gift that had been given to them.
REFLECTING: In what ways do I use my time, treasure and talents for the kingdom of God?
PRAYING: Holy Spirit, help me to use your gifts for the good of all.
OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Chapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, including the Liturgy, and includes reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary. See the complete document on Vatican web site (www.vatican.va) Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy.
Chapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, including the Liturgy, and includes reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary. See the complete document on Vatican web site (www.vatican.va) Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy.
August 31
Sts. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus
Sts. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus
The actions of these two influential Jewish leaders give insight
into the charismatic power of Jesus and his teachings—and the risks that could
be involved in following him.
Joseph was
a respected, wealthy civic leader who had become a disciple of Jesus. Following
the death of Jesus, Joseph obtained Jesus' body from Pilate, wrapped it in fine
linen and buried it. For these reasons Joseph is considered the patron saint of
funeral directors and pallbearers. More important is the courage Joseph showed
in asking Pilate for Jesus' body. Jesus was a condemned criminal who had been
publicly executed. According to some legends, Joseph was punished and
imprisoned for such a bold act.
Nicodemus was
a Pharisee and, like Joseph, an important first-century Jew. We know from
John's Gospel that Nicodemus went to Jesus at night—secretly—to better
understand his teachings about the kingdom. Later, Nicodemus spoke up for Jesus
at the time of his arrest and assisted in Jesus' burial. We know little else
about Nicodemus.
Patron Saint of:
Undertakers
Undertakers
LECTIO: MATTHEW
25,14-30
Lectio:
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
help us to seek the values
that will bring us enduring joy in this changing world.
In our desire for what you promise
make us one in mind and heart.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
help us to seek the values
that will bring us enduring joy in this changing world.
In our desire for what you promise
make us one in mind and heart.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 25,14-30
Jesus said to his disciples: 'It is like a man about to go
abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he
gave five talents, to another two, to a third one, each in proportion to his
ability. Then he set out on his journey.
The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
Now a long time afterwards, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. "Sir," he said, "you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made." His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master's happiness." Next the man with the two talents came forward. "Sir," he said, "you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made." His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master's happiness."
Last came forward the man who had the single talent. "Sir," said he, "I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you had not sown and gathering where you had not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back."
But his master answered him, "You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have got my money back with interest. So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what he has. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."
The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
Now a long time afterwards, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. "Sir," he said, "you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made." His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master's happiness." Next the man with the two talents came forward. "Sir," he said, "you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made." His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master's happiness."
Last came forward the man who had the single talent. "Sir," said he, "I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you had not sown and gathering where you had not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back."
But his master answered him, "You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have got my money back with interest. So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what he has. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."
3) Reflection
•Today’s Gospel presents to us the parable of the talents. This
parable was between two other parables: the Parable of the Ten virgins (Mt 25,
1-13) and the Parable of the final Judgement (Mt 25, 31-46).These three
parables clarify and orientate persons concerning the coming of the Kingdom.
The parable of the Ten Virgins insists on vigilance: the Kingdom may arrive at
any moment. The Parable of the final Judgement says that in order to possess
the Kingdom it is necessary to accept the little ones. The Parable of the
talents orientates on what to do to make the Kingdom grow. It speaks of the
gifts and the charisma which persons receive from God. Every person has
qualities, knows something that he/she can teach others. Nobody is only a pupil,
nobody is only a teacher. We all learn from one another.
A key to understand the parable: one of the things which has greater influence on the life of the people is the idea which we have of God. Among the Jews who followed the Pharisees, some imagined that God was a severe judge, who treated persons according to the merit they had gained through the observance of the Law. That produced fear in the persons and prevented them from growing. And, especially, prevented them from opening a space within them, to receive and accept the new experience of God which Jesus communicated. In order to help these persons, Matthew tells the story of the talents.
• Matthew 25, 14-15: The door of entrance in the parable. Jesus tells the story of a man, who before going abroad, entrusted his goods to his servants, giving them five, two and one talents, according to the capacity of each one. One talent was equal to 34 kg. of gold, which is not something small! In last instance, each one receives the same amount, because he receives “according to his capacity”.Anyone who has a big cup, receives a full cup. The man went on his journey, abroad where he remained for a long time. The story produces a certain moment of suspense. One does not know for what purpose the man entrusts his money to the servants; neither does one know the end.
• Matthew 25, 16-18: The way of acting of each one of the servants. The two first ones work and make the money produce a double amount. But the one who received one talent buried it so as not to lose it. It is a question of the goods of the Kingdom which are given to persons and to the communities according to their capacity. Everyone receives some good of the Kingdom, but not all respond in the same way!
• Matthew 25, 19-23: Rendering an account of the first and the second servants, and response of the master. After a long time, the man returned. The first two servants say the same thing: “Sir, you entrusted me with five/two talents, here are five/two more that I have made”. And the master gives the same response: “Well done, good and trustworthy servant, you have shown you are trustworthy in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness”.
• Matthew 25, 24-25: Rendering of account of the third servant. The third servant comes and says: “Sir, I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you had not sown and gathering where you had not scattered, so I was afraid and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is!” In this phrase we have a mistaken idea of God which is criticized by Jesus. The servant considers God as a severe master. Before such a God, the human being is afraid and hides behind the exact and narrow-minded observance of the Law. The person thinks that acting in this way, the severity of the legislator will not punish him. In reality, such a person does not believe in God, but believes only in self and in the observance of the Law. This person closes up in self, separates herself from God and cannot be concerned about others. This person becomes incapable to grow and develop like a free person. This false image of God isolates the human being, kills the community, puts an end to joy and impoverishes life.
• Matthew 25, 26-27: The response of the Master to the third servant. The response of the master is ironic. He says: “Wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered; you should have deposited my money with the bankers and on my return I would have got my money back with interest!” The third servant was not coherent with the severe image which he had of God. If he imagined that God was severe, he should have, at least, placed the money in the bank. Then, he is condemned not by God but by the mistaken idea that he had of God and which makes him more immature and fearful than what he should have been. It was not possible for him to be coherent with the erroneous image which he had of God, because fear dehumanized and paralyzed life.
• Matthew 25, 28-30: The last word of the Lord which clarifies the parable. The master orders to take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what he has.” This is the key which clarifies everything. In reality, the talents, the “money of the master”, the goods of the Kingdom, are love, service, sharing. It is everything which helps the community to grow and reveals the presence of God. Anyone who closes himself in self out of fear of losing the little that he has, at the end will lose even the little that he has. But the person who does not think of self, and gives herself to others, grows and receives in turn, in an unexpected way, everything which she has given and even more. Anyone who loses his life will find it, and anyone who has the courage to lose his life will find it”.
• The different money of the Kingdom. There is no difference between those who have received more and those who have received less. All have their gift according to their capacity. What is important is that this gift be placed at the service of the Kingdom and make the goods of the Kingdom grow. These gifts are love, fraternal spirit, sharing. The principal key of the parable does not consist in making the talents render something, but rather in relating with God in a correct way. The two first servants ask for nothing, they do not seek their own good, they do not want things for themselves, they do not close up in self, they do not calculate. In the most natural way, almost without being aware and without seeking their own merit, they begin to work, in such a way that the gift received from God may render for God and for the Kingdom. The third servant is afraid, and because of this does nothing. According to the norms of the ancient law, he acts correctly. He responds to the exigencies. He loses nothing and gains nothing. And because of this he loses even what he had. The Kingdom is a risk. Anyone who does not want to run risks will lose the Kingdom!
4) Personal questions
• In our community, do we try to know and value the gifts of
each person? Is our community a place where persons are able to make known
their talents and make them available to others? Sometimes, the gifts of some
generate envy and competitiveness in others. How do we react?
• How is the following phrase to be understood: “For anyone who has will be given more and will have in abundance; but anyone who does not have will be taken away even what he has”?
5) Concluding Prayer
We are waiting for Yahweh;
he is our help and our shield,
for in him our heart rejoices,
in his holy name we trust. (Ps 33,20-21)
he is our help and our shield,
for in him our heart rejoices,
in his holy name we trust. (Ps 33,20-21)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét