Memorial of Saint Monica
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
PsalmPS 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 JN 13:34
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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 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."
Daily Quote from the
early church fathers: Eternal Joys, by Gregory the Great (540-604 AD)
"All the good deeds
of our present life, however many they may appear to be, are few in comparison
with our eternal recompense. The faithful servant is put in charge of many
things after overcoming all the troubles brought him by perishable things. He
glories in the eternal joys of his heavenly dwelling. He is brought completely
into the joy of his master when he is taken into his eternal home and joined to
the company of angels. His inner joy at his gift is such that there is no
longer any external perishable thing that can cause him sorrow." (excerpt from FORTY
GOSPEL HOMILIES 9.2)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 28,
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).
TO KNOW: 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.
TO LOVE: In what ways do I use my time, treasure and talents for the kingdom of God?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to use your gifts for the good of all.
Memorial of Saint Monica
Monica, a Christian from birth, was married by arrangement to a pagan official in North Africa who was much older than she. Although generous, he had a violent temper, which proved a constant challenge to Monica. She had three children; Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua. Through her patience and prayers, she was able to convert her husband to the Catholic faith in 370. He died a year later. Perpetua and Navigius entered the religious life. Augustine was much more difficult. Monica had to pray for him for 17 years, begging the prayers of priests who tried to avoid her because of her persistence at this seemingly hopeless endeavor. One priest did console her by saying, "it is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish." This thought, coupled with a vision that she had, strengthened her. Augustine was baptized by St. Ambrose in 387. Monica died later that same year on the way back to Africa from Rome in the Italian town of Ostia. Monica is the patron of alcoholics, abuse victims, difficult marriages, disappointing children, victims of adultery, of unfaithfulness, of verbal abuse, and of mothers and widows.
Saturday 27 August 2016
Sat
27th. St Monica.
1 Corinthians 1:26-31. Happy the people
the Lord has chosen to be his own—Ps 32(33):12-13, 18-21. Matthew 25:14-30.
Go
beyond!
We
live in a world of law and justice, where what is owed must be returned to the
cent, possession is measured precisely, rights are carved in stone and
contracts are signed in blood. This parable, however, calls us to transcend
these ideals, however noble they are, and go beyond the terms of contract, to
commit to life fearlessly. The faithfulness that our Master calls for is not
meticulous accounting but true and selfless commitment to him and his kingdom.
He asks that we take a gamble and strive to be fruitful rather than fearfully
barren. He asks not that we be servile, keeping careful track of our deeds or
misdeeds, but that we be loving and invest ourselves generously in the building
of the kingdom; that we become truly his own.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
A Nurturing Church
|
The Church really is my mother, too. She isn’t a vague maternal
force for a generic collection of anonymous people. This Mother truly nurtures
us—each one of us. And for those of us who are baptized Christians, the Church
has actually given birth to us on a spiritual level.
August
27
St. Monica
(322?-387)
St. Monica
(322?-387)
The circumstances of St. Monica’s life
could have made her a nagging wife, a bitter daughter-in-law and a despairing
parent, yet she did not give way to any of these temptations. Although she was
a Christian, her parents gave her in marriage to a pagan, Patricius, who lived
in her hometown of Tagaste in North Africa. Patricius had some redeeming
features, but he had a violent temper and was licentious. Monica also had to
bear with a cantankerous mother-in-law who lived in her home. Patricius
criticized his wife because of her charity and piety, but always respected her.
Monica’s prayers and example finally won her husband and mother-in-law to
Christianity. Her husband died in 371, one year after his baptism.
Monica had at least three children who survived infancy.
The oldest, Augustine (August 28) , is the most famous. At the time of his
father’s death, Augustine was 17 and a rhetoric student in Carthage. Monica was
distressed to learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy (all flesh
is evil) and was living an immoral life. For a while, she refused to let
him eat or sleep in her house. Then one night she had a vision that assured her
Augustine would return to the faith. From that time on, she stayed close to her
son, praying and fasting for him. In fact, she often stayed much closer than
Augustine wanted.
When he was 29, Augustine decided to go to Rome to
teach rhetoric. Monica was determined to go along. One night he told his mother
that he was going to the dock to say goodbye to a friend. Instead, he set sail
for Rome. Monica was heartbroken when she learned of Augustine’s trick, but she
still followed him. She arrived in Rome only to find that he had left for
Milan. Although travel was difficult, Monica pursued him to Milan.
In Milan, Augustine came under the influence of the
bishop, St. Ambrose, who also became Monica’s spiritual director. She accepted
his advice in everything and had the humility to give up some practices that
had become second nature to her (see Quote, below). Monica became a leader of
the devout women in Milan as she had been in Tagaste.
She continued her prayers for Augustine during his
years of instruction. At Easter, 387, St. Ambrose baptized Augustine and
several of his friends. Soon after, his party left for Africa. Although no one
else was aware of it, Monica knew her life was near the end. She told
Augustine, “Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know
what there is now left for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in
this world being now fulfilled.” She became ill shortly after and suffered
severely for nine days before her death.
Almost all we know about St. Monica is in the writings
of St. Augustine, especially his Confessions.
Comment:
Today, with Internet searches, e-mail shopping, text messages, tweets and instant credit, we have little patience for things that take time. Likewise, we want instant answers to our prayers. Monica is a model of patience. Her long years of prayer, coupled with a strong, well-disciplined character, finally led to the conversion of her hot-tempered husband, her cantankerous mother-in-law and her brilliant but wayward son, Augustine.
Today, with Internet searches, e-mail shopping, text messages, tweets and instant credit, we have little patience for things that take time. Likewise, we want instant answers to our prayers. Monica is a model of patience. Her long years of prayer, coupled with a strong, well-disciplined character, finally led to the conversion of her hot-tempered husband, her cantankerous mother-in-law and her brilliant but wayward son, Augustine.
Quote:
When Monica moved from North Africa to Milan, she found religious practices new to her and also that some of her former customs, such as a Saturday fast, were not common there. She asked St. Ambrose which customs she should follow. His classic reply was: “When I am here, I do not fast on Saturday, but I fast when I am in Rome; do the same and always follow the custom and discipline of the Church as it is observed in the particular locality in which you find yourself.”
When Monica moved from North Africa to Milan, she found religious practices new to her and also that some of her former customs, such as a Saturday fast, were not common there. She asked St. Ambrose which customs she should follow. His classic reply was: “When I am here, I do not fast on Saturday, but I fast when I am in Rome; do the same and always follow the custom and discipline of the Church as it is observed in the particular locality in which you find yourself.”
Patron Saint of:
Alcoholics
Married women
Mothers
Alcoholics
Married women
Mothers
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 25,14-30
Lectio Divina:
Saturday, August 27, 2016
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 considersGod 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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