Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 430
Lectionary: 430
Consider your own
calling, brothers and sisters.
Not many of you were wise by human standards,
not many were powerful,
not many were of noble birth.
Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,
and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing,
to reduce to nothing those who are something,
so that no human being might boast before God.
It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who became for us wisdom from God,
as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
so that, as it is written,
Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.
Not many of you were wise by human standards,
not many were powerful,
not many were of noble birth.
Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,
and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing,
to reduce to nothing those who are something,
so that no human being might boast before God.
It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who became for us wisdom from God,
as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
so that, as it is written,
Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm PS 33:12-13, 18-19, 20-21
R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be
his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Gospel MT 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 |
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August 30, 2014. Saturday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary
Time
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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.
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, MATTHEW 25:14-30
(1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Psalm 33)
(1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Psalm 33)
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: Lord Jesus, 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 the Vatican web site 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 the Vatican web site Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy
Happy the people the Lord has chosen to be his own
Happy the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. ‘I give you a
new commandment: love one another as‘I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you.’ This is the gospel acclamation for today. We are familiar with the old catch phrase ‘WWJD’—‘What Would Jesus Do?’ God is love. Jesus loved. Jesus is God made flesh. Jesus is God in love with us. What would we do for love? A woman usually lies down to give birth to her child. She enters into a state of utter vulnerability. Even in the 21st century, childbirth can be risky. Yet, women still lay down their lives to bring new life to birth. They suffer, shed water and blood, die to themselves in order to bring new life. Then they rise from the bed and bring love to life. WWJD? Die for love and rise to live for love. ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
The Ultimate Lover
The people who know God well—the hermits, the prayerful people,
those who risk everything to find God—always meet a lover, not a dictator. God
is never found to be an abusive father or a manipulative mother, but a lover
who is more than we dared hope for.
August
30
St. Jeanne Jugan
(1792-1879)
St. Jeanne Jugan
(1792-1879)
Born in northern
France during the French Revolution—a time when congregations of women and men
religious were being suppressed by the national government, Jeanne would
eventually be highly praised in the French academy for her community's
compassionate care of elderly poor people.
When
Jeanne was three and a half years old, her father, a fisherman, was lost at
sea. Her widowed mother was hard pressed to raise her eight children (four died
young) alone. At the age of 15 or 16, Jeanne became a kitchen maid for a family
that not only cared for its own members, but also served poor, elderly people
nearby. Ten years later, Jeanne became a nurse at the hospital in Le Rosais.
Soon thereafter she joined a third order group founded by St. John Eudes
(August 19).
After six
years she became a servant and friend of a woman she met through the third
order. They prayed, visited the poor and taught catechism to children. After
her friend's death, Jeanne and two other women continued a similar life in the
city of Saint-Sevran. In 1839, they brought in their first permanent guest.
They began an association, received more members and more guests. Mother Marie
of the Cross, as Jeanne was now known, founded six more houses for the elderly
by the end of 1849, all staffed by members of her association—the Little
Sisters of the Poor. By 1853 the association numbered 500 and had houses as far
away as England.
Abbé Le
Pailleur, a chaplain, had prevented Jeanne's reelection as superior in 1843;
nine year later, he had her assigned to duties within the congregation, but
would not allow her to be recognized as its founder. He was removed from office
by the Holy See in 1890.
By the
time Pope Leo XIII gave her final approval to the community's constitutions in
1879, there were 2,400 Little Sisters of the Poor. Jeanne died later that same
year, on August 30. Her cause was introduced in Rome in 1970, and she was
beatified in 1982 and canonized in 2009.
Comment:
Jeanne Jugan saw Christ in what Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkata would describe as his "distressing disguises." With great confidence in God's providence and the intercession of St. Joseph, she begged willingly for the many homes that she opened, relying on the good example of the Sisters and the generosity of benefactors who knew the good that the Sisters were doing. They now work in 30 countries. "With the eye of faith, we must see Jesus in our old people—for they are God's mouthpiece," Jeanne once said. No matter what the difficulties, she was always able to praise God and move ahead.
Jeanne Jugan saw Christ in what Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkata would describe as his "distressing disguises." With great confidence in God's providence and the intercession of St. Joseph, she begged willingly for the many homes that she opened, relying on the good example of the Sisters and the generosity of benefactors who knew the good that the Sisters were doing. They now work in 30 countries. "With the eye of faith, we must see Jesus in our old people—for they are God's mouthpiece," Jeanne once said. No matter what the difficulties, she was always able to praise God and move ahead.
Quote:
In his homily at the canonization Mass, Pope Benedict XVI said: "In the Beatitudes, Jeanne Jugan found the source of the spirit of hospitality and fraternal love, founded on unlimited trust in Providence, which illuminated her whole life. This evangelical dynamism is continued today across the world in the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor, which she founded and which testifies, after her example, to the mercy of God and the compassionate love of the Heart of Jesus for the lowliest.”
In his homily at the canonization Mass, Pope Benedict XVI said: "In the Beatitudes, Jeanne Jugan found the source of the spirit of hospitality and fraternal love, founded on unlimited trust in Providence, which illuminated her whole life. This evangelical dynamism is continued today across the world in the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor, which she founded and which testifies, after her example, to the mercy of God and the compassionate love of the Heart of Jesus for the lowliest.”
LECTIO DIVINA:
MATTHEW 25,14-30
Lectio:
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Ordinary Time
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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)
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