August 30, 2025
Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 430
Reading 1
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.
Responsorial Psalm
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.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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.'"
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/083025.cfm
Commentary on 1
Thessalonians 4:9-11
Paul provides two pieces of advice for the Thessalonians
today. First, that while they have heeded Christ’s message of love of
neighbour, they should “go on making even greater progress” within their
community. Second, Paul urges that they concern themselves with their own
affairs, each labouring faithfully to earn his own living and all presenting a
good example to the outside world.
Having warned them about sexual abuses (‘loving’ in the
wrong way), Paul now goes on to speak about true love for each other.
‘Brotherly love’ (Greek, philadelphia) was originally used to speak
of siblings of the same parent. But in the New Testament it always means love
of fellow-believers in Christ, all of whom have the same heavenly Father. Paul
feels there is really no need to write to them about this, because they have
already learnt that lesson from God. Not only that, this is the way they
have been dealing with their brothers and sisters in Christ all over Macedonia
(of which Thessalonica was the capital city). But again as before, he
suggests there is room for improvement.
He cites a few areas:
- They
should make a point of living quietly and at peace with each other.
- They
should attend to their own affairs and not meddle in those of others.
- They
should earn their own living, working with their hands, as Paul had taught
them.
The Greeks in general thought that manual labour was
degrading and fit only for slaves, but the Christians took seriously the need
for earning their own living. However, some of the Thessalonians, perhaps as a
result of their belief in the imminent return of Christ, were neglecting work
and relying on others to support them (see 2 Thess 3:11). And these same
people, with nothing to do, were perhaps urging others to join them. Paul
says they should keep their ideas to themselves and not interfere with people
who are trying to make a living in a normal way.
If they live as Paul suggests, the Thessalonian Christians
will earn the respect of outsiders and not be dependent on others, because they
are taking care of their own needs. On the other hand, Christians in need
because of their idleness are not true Christians.
Trust in God is all very well, but we are also expected to
use the gifts he has given us. Today’s Gospel speaks of how three people
used the talents God gave them.
There is a saying, attributed to St Ignatius Loyola, which
fits this:
Pray as if everything depended on God and nothing on you;
and do all things as if everything depended on you and nothing on God.
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Commentary on Matthew
25:14-30
Today is our final weekday reading from Matthew’s Gospel and
on Monday we will begin the reading of Luke’s Gospel. Today is also our last
reading from the fifth and final Eschatological Discourse of Jesus in Matthew’s
Gospel.
There are two great passages left—the parable of the talents
and the description of the last judgement—but we will only be taking the first
of these. Both deal with the final judgment and, like the parable of the
bridesmaids, are warnings on how we are to prepare.
The parable speaks of a wealthy man who, before he set off
on a journey, entrusted his servants (slaves) with large sums of money. He gave
them different amounts according to their ability. One received five talents, a
second, two, and the third just one. A ‘talent’ was an enormous amount of money
in the ancient world, so five talents was a veritable fortune. Originally, the
term stood for a unit of weight, about 75 pounds or 30-something kilos. Later
it became a unit of coinage, the value depending on the metal used. Actually,
our current meaning of ‘talent’ comes from this parable.
The amount given out indicates the generosity of the master.
But the money was not for their own personal enjoyment; it was meant to be used
productively.
The first two servants both traded actively with the money
they had been given and doubled their original capital. The third man, however,
buried his money in the ground, as this was considered the most secure place in
a pre-banking society.
When the master came back, the first two presented their
accounts. Their master was very pleased and they were entrusted with even more
responsibility. To each he said:
Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been
trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter
into the joy of your master.
Then the third man came along with his one talent. He had
not traded with it because he was afraid he would lose his money and said:
Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where
you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter, so I was afraid, and I
went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.
Ironically, he was the one who was given the least and from
whom the least was expected. But even with that little responsibility he failed
to produce. Perhaps he even expected to be praised for his prudence.
The master does not deny the charge of being a hard man, but
he accuses the man of not having done even the least thing to increase his
capital. He could have deposited or lent the money and got some interest. But
he had absolutely nothing to show of his own.
The money is taken from him and given to the one who had
five talents. Surprising? Unfair? Not really. This man had already shown he was
a very good investment. And Jesus sums up:
For to all those who have, more will be given, and they
will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have
will be taken away.
As mentioned above, the word ‘talent’, which in biblical
times referred to a huge amount of money, now denotes a particular gift or
ability with which a person is endowed. “He has a great talent for music; she
has a great talent for design.” In that sense, we have all been endowed with
talents in varying degrees or, to use a word which Paul prefers, charisms.
In either case, they indicate some distinctive ability which is to a large
extent innate or God-given.
Everyone of us has been endowed in some way. And, as in the
parable, some are greatly endowed and others less so. All that is asked is that
we make use of that gift or those gifts to the best of our ability, and not for
ourselves alone (that is to bury them in the ground), but to build up the
Kingdom and make a positive contribution to the community to which we belong.
At the end we will be asked, as the men in the parable were,
“How did you use the gifts I gave you and how productive were they in
furthering the growth of the Kingdom?”
Today then is a day for us to identify what those gifts
actually are. It is possible that some people have never given it much thought.
They see their Christian life in rather passive terms, just looking after
themselves, living in conformity to the commandments of God and the Church,
fulfilling their ‘religious duties’, making sure to die ‘in the state of
grace’. But this, in effect, is to bury one’s talents.
Today’s Gospel makes it very clear that far more is expected
of us. We are expected to make an active and positive contribution to the work
of the Kingdom and to the Christian community as the Body of Christ. In
practice, that means taking an active part in our Church, in our parish, and in
making a contribution to the betterment of our society. So, it is very
important for us to spend some time in reflecting on what are my unique
‘talents’ or gifts or abilities and then to ask how and to what end I am using
them? The time to do that is today because, as we have been amply warned, we do
not know when our Master is coming back to check his accounts with us.
The end of today’s passage indicates that if we do not move
forward, or are not productive, then we go backwards. We cannot remain static
or purely passive in God’s service. To do nothing is not a possible option. The
more we give and share with others from the resources we have, the more we are
personally enriched. On the other hand, to cling to our gifts and keep them
just for ourselves is to become smaller in every way.
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https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/o1217g/
Saturday,
August 30, 2025
Ordinary
Time
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.
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."
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!
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”?
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)
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