Friday, August 26, 2005
MEMORIAL, ST. MONICA, MARRIED WOMAN
AUGUST 27, 2005
MEMORIAL, ST. MONICA, MARRIED WOMAN
SATURDAY 21ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME - YEAR I
1 THESSALONIANS 4:9-11
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.
MATTHEW 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.'"
REFLECTION
In today's gospel reading, our future is presented as a settling of
accounts. The settling of accounts is clearly the core of the message
and we see how in the story the tension builds up towards the
confrontation with the third servant. What is going to happen? For he
has done nothing wrong. He has wasted nothing and he has carefully kept
what was entrusted to him. Yet we feel that things will turn against
him. For he had fatally misjudged his lord and that is what he is
emphatically blamed for when sentence is passed.
His God is a false God, not the tender Father and the faithful
partner but a businesslike egoist who is bent on his own profit. This
image of God obsesses the servant as a paralyzing nightmare. Out of
fear for this merciless computer God with his cold demands, the third
servant wanted to play it safe by resorting to human safeguards. He had
no trust in the task that the Lord had given him and he was afraid of
his demands, which he thought were unreasonable. That is what already
happened in the Garden of Eden, and that is what will be often
repeated. The term "buried" is very fitting. Fear and distrust are the
cool grave where one can no longer expect life.
By condemning this false image of God, the Good News sounds the call to
risk our faith. Only by trustingly risking one's faith and by believing
in God's love, will a person find true life and be rewarded with
fertility. The true God sees with the heart. He understands what is
possible and what is not, and he invites us in this way to keep taking
initiatives as we trust in him.
The person who believes realizes that the Lord himself will bring to
completion the commitment of his servants. Only those who do not trust
him have to fear that the end result will be the decisive factor. Those
who trust him will experience how the Lord himself will add to what
they have accomplished. The nature of this reward makes it obvious that
it is not the final result that is obtained by the servants that will
determine the reward, but that this reward is pure grace, a pure gift,
out of proportion with any merit and far surpassing it.
What a happiness and joy for the faithful servants to know that when
they carry out their humble task, God is waiting from all eternity for
their small contribution to establish his kingdom and to open heaven.
They also know that God does not expect that they themselves earn
heaven, but only that they want to do something for it, each according
to one's abilities and potentials. For God himself is pleased to do the
rest.
PRAYER
"Lord, 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."
PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray ...
- for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the
unborn.
- for the speedy recovery of Erlinda.
- for the personal intentions of Jane Figuerres-Guillermo.
- for the safe travel of Lydia and JP
- for the personal intentions of the Pe Family
- for the personal intentions of Revilyn.
- for the personal intentions of Charina.
- for the eternal repose of the soul of Antonio D. Marcos, Jr. Eternal
rest grant unto him and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest
in peace.
- for the special intentions of the Autor family.
- for the speedy recovery of Antonio.
- healings for Judy, Nathan, Binnie's sister, Rich M, Paula, Lloyd,
Mary, Ann, Dawn, Edith, Harry & Alan.
- for a safe trip for Vera & B.
- for the safekeeping of the sons of EJ. For the healing of EJ's
mother.
- for the speedy recovery of Amy.
- for the personal intentions of Elizabeth.
- for healing of Susan and for peace in her country Kenya
- for of personal intention of Gloria Santos and for the approval of
visa application for her family's immigration to Canada.
- for the successful Christian life program of CFC South B3A starting
on Sept 3.
- for my husband Master Gunnery Sergeant James Adrian who is in Iraq to
come home safely to us and for the safety of all other servicemen and
women.
- for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- for world peace and reconciliation.
Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our
prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.
Have a good day!
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