Thirty-third
Sunday in Ordinary Time -
Cycle A
The
main idea of last Sunday was that we must be vigilant and be prepared because
we know neither the day nor the hour of the coming of the Lord. Today, the main
idea is that we must multiply the talents the Lord has given us, and not be
idle. Jesus explains it to us in the parabola we have just heard.
We can divide the gospel in three stages:
- The master goes away,
and entrusts his possessions to his servants.
- Each servant must
administer the talents he has received.
- The master returns and settles
accounts with his servants.
Explanation of the Parable
The master goes away and entrusts his mission to the Church
First Christians interpreted this parable as Jesus going to the house of the Father, the day of the Ascension, entrusting his mission to his disciples. Jesus said: Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. (Mk 16:15)
All the disciples of Jesus have to share his message; everyone according to the talents he or she has received from God, and according to his or her capacity.
We have to administer the goods that God has given us
We have freely received many talents from God: life, health,
parents, relatives and friends. Saint James tells us: Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers: all good
giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of
lights. (Jm 1:16-17)
One of the things that can help to find the meaning of our life, is the joyous and thankful discovery of the talents with which the Lord has filled our life.
The Lord wants our talents to multiply
A talent corresponded to a silver ingot of about thirty kilograms, more or less. Saint Mathew says: To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one - to each according to his ability. (Mt 25:15) The first and second servants, obtained a yield of one hundred percent, and the owner praised and congratulated them, not so much because of the amount they gave back to him, but because of their diligence and love for work. However, the third one, made a hole in the ground and hid his talent, and did not make it fructify. The master, annoyed, said: Throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. (Mt 25:28-30)
What is it “to administer”
We are administrators of the goods that God has given us: we are not owners. We have to administer them according to the will of God.
We
have to be faithful to our Christian vocation, and to the status we have
chosen, be it religious, married or simply as a lay person. We have a good
example in the first reading about the good wife: Her
husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him
good, and not evil, all the days of her life ... She reaches out her hands to the poor ... Give her a
reward for her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.
If we only use the talents that the Lord has given us to increase our wealth, to make our business prosper, to have comfort, and we forget God and our brothers and sisters, we then become like that administrator who buried the talent in a hole.
The good administrator feels joy because of the fruit of his work, as the good wife who was praised before the whole city.
In order to yield fruit, we have to be united to Jesus Christ, as he himself says to us: Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. (Jhn 15:5)
May God help us, so that when we appear before Him, our hands may overflow with good works. May our life always be an act of love towards God and our brethren.
May
you have a good Sunday.