Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
A HOLE IN THE GROUND?
Introduction
Paul gives his Thessalonians two recommendation to promote mutual love: work for your livelihood and do not overdepend on others. Then, remain calm, wait for the Lord’s coming in faith and hope, without fear.
In today’s parable of the talents, Jesus speaks of what we do for the kingdom of God with the gifts we have received from him. For the kingdom, that means, to animate the Church and the world with a faith, a hope, a love that transform us, the Church and the world. For this purpose, we invest ourselves, take risks, are involved. If we seek a deceptive security in our little practices, in immobility, we bury a hole in the ground, we bury ourselves, we opt for death, we are devalued. Do we use our God-given talents as a capital not merely to be proud of, but to bear interest for God’s plans with us and the world?
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
you entrust to us your life and love
as a tremendous capital of potentials
to bear interest in the service
of your plans and your kingdom.
Do not allow us to dig a hole in the ground
to bury ourselves with our talents.
Make us go out to take the risk
of investing ourselves in people
and in the growth of your kingdom of love and justice,
by the strength of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Reading 1: 1 Thes 4:9-11
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
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: Jn 13:34
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mt 25:14-30
“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.'”
Intentions
– That all people may share in the earth’s resources in justice, friendship and peace, we pray:
– That inspiring homes and good educators may equip our young people to place their potentials in the service of the Church and of our people, we pray:
– That women may take with honor their rightful place in the Church and in the world; that their talents of cordiality, tact and sensitivity may warm this harsh world with gentleness, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
in these gifts of bread and wine,
we place ourselves and all you have made us,
that you may return them to us
as the body and blood of your Son.
Accept us with Jesus and make us with him
give ourselves to one another
in the poverty and riches of our existence.
May we thus, give shape to your kingdom
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
through the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ,
you have made us capable
of sowing the seeds of your life and love.
Grant that when you ask for an account
of what we have done with our lives,
we may hear from your own lips
that we have been good and faithful servants,
who did much with the little we had,
and that we may enter your joy for ever.
Blessing
Every one of us has received from God one’s own particular gifts. That you may be good servants of what God has entrusted to you, whether much or little, may Almighty God bless you, he Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Reflection :
September 2
Matthew 25:14-30
Faithful in small matters
The mission of the Church takes place between the Ascension of Christ and His coming in glory at a time unknown to us. The importance of being engaged in this mission is the subject of today’s liturgy of the Word. We are called to become likea“worthy woman” (Prov. 31:10-13), imitate the servants who doubled the number of talents (Matt. 25:20,22), and be children of the light (1 Thess. 5:5; Matt. 5:14) in a world that remains in the darkness of sin.
A man going on a journey entrusted his possessions to his servants (Matt. 25:14). In the Old Testament, God entrusted to us the care for the earth (Gen. 1:28; 2:15), and then He entrusted His Law to Israel (Ezek. 20:11). In the New Testament, Christ has entrusted to the apostles the task of proclaiming the Gospel to the na– tions and teaching all the people the truths of faith and morality (Matt. 28:19-20). By entrusting to us “his possessions”, God shows that He trusts us and expects our cooperation with His grace.
“To each according to their abilities” (Matt. 25:15). In the Church, we have vari– ous gifts according to the grace given to us (Rom. 12:6). None of us is self-suffi– cient, so we need each other, and none of the gifts is so small to be considered in- significant (1 Cor. 12:21-23). When we “immediately” put those talents to use (Matt. 25:16-17) we show our responsible attitude towards being disciples of Christ (1 Thess. 5:5; Matt. 5:14), and contribute to the common good of all (1 Cor. 12:7).
But one servant buried his talent in the ground (Mt 25:18). Why did he do that? Was he really “lazy” (Mt 25:26)? The basic meaning of that adjective in Greek indi– cates timidity, hesitation, and unreadiness. While other servants traded with their talents, that servant procrastinated and delayed his decision until it was too late. Wedo not know what he was doing during his master’s absence. However, we can assume that for him the “day of the Lord” really came “like a thief at night” (1 Thess. 5:2).
“Master, I knew you to be a hard man” (Matt. 25:24). The servant dares to blame his master for his inaction. “You reap where you did not sow, and gather where you scattered no seed” (Matt. 25:24). Does the servant insinuate that his master is like Pharaoh, who ordered the people to make bricks but did not give them straw (Ex.5:7)? But, the truth is different. His master wanted to gather where
he did sow. He gave him one talent, and so he had no excuse. If the others could bring fruits, why not him as well?
“Here, you have what is yours” (Matt. 25:25). This impudent statement stands in opposition to the statement of his fellow servants: “Lord! You have entrusted me withfive (two) talents. Here, I have made five (two) talents more” (Matt. 25:20,22). And so instead of sharing the joy of his master, he ended up in “the darkness out- side,where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth” (Matt. 25:30). All those who ask fora reason to serve God and keep his commandments (Job 21:15; Mal. 3:14) can findan answer in this parable.
“You were faithful in small matters” (Matt. 25:21,23). God does not demand something impossible from us. If we build our family on Christian values and sup- port the poor (Prov. 31:15-20), if we use God’s gifts responsibly (Matt. 25:20,22) andlive by faith, hope, and love (1 Thess. 5:8) we shall also hear: “enter into the joy ofyour Lord” (Matt. 25:21,23). Amen.