Saturday, September 2, 2006
21st Week in Ordinary Time


A HOLE IN THE GROUND?

1 Cor 1:26-31; Ps 33:12-13,18-19,20-21; Matthew 25:14-30


Daily Gospel

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.

Liturgy of the Word

Introduction to the First Reading
       Little people as most of the Corinthians are, they should be aware that they are great before God. God chooses what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. Their boast, their wisdom, is God.

First Reading: 1 Cor 1:26-31

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.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 33:12-13,18-19,20-21

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.

Introduction to Gospel Reading
      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?

Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:14-30

Jesus said to his disciples, "Imagine someone who, before going abroad, summoned his servants to entrust his property to them. He gave five talents of silver to one, then two to another, and one to a third, each one according to his ability; and he went away. He who received five talents went at once to do business with the money and gained another five. The one who received two did the same and gained another two. But the one with one talent dug a hole and hid his master's money.

"After a long time, the master of those servants returned and asked for a reckoning. The one who received five talents came with another five talents, saying: 'Lord, you entrusted me with five talents, but see I have gained five more with them.' The master answered: 'Very well, good and faithful servant, since you have been faithful in a few things, I will entrust you with much more. Come and share the joy of your master.' Then the one who had two talents came and said: 'Lord, you entrusted me with two talents; I have two more which I gained with them.' The master said: 'Well, good and faithful servant, since you have been faithful in little things, I will entrust you with much more. Come and share the joy of your master.'

"Finally, the one who had received one talent came and said: 'Master, I know that you are an exacting man. You reap what you have not sown and gather what you have not invested. I was afraid, so I hid your money in the ground. Here, take what is yours.' But his master replied: 'Wicked and worthless servant, you know that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not invested. Then you should have deposited my money in the bank, and you would have given it back to me with interest on my return.

"Therefore, take the talent from him, and give it to the one who has ten. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who are unproductive, even what they have will be taken from them. As for that useless servant, throw him out into the dark where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

Commentary

We are called; and most of those who were called weren't wise or influential, but lowborn and despised in the world. But we have life in Jesus who is our wisdom, justice, sanctification and redemption and we are only to boast in the Lord. Does that look anything like us?
Jesus tells the story of the talents, a huge amount of money given to servants while the master went on a journey. He returns to hold them accountable for what they've done with what they were entrusted with-sounds like the world-and it is not how God judges, but the way the world does. Are we more intent on making it in the world's judgment or in the eyes of God?

General Intercessions

- 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.

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