Celebración de la palabra

Saturday August 31

A HOLE IN THE GROUND?

Introduction

Paul gives his Thessalonians two recommendation to promote mutual love: work for your livelihood and do not over depend 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

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: Ps 98:1, 7-8, 9

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: Jn 13:34

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Mt 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.'"

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.

Commentary

Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to be faithful in three specific areas: a life of peace and tranquility, noninterference in the affairs of others, and an industrious way of life. These are all issues he addressed in the course of the epistle. The Gospel today picks up on the third area of Paul’s teaching: to apply oneself to die daily task.
The man left home after giving determined sums of money to three of his servants. The first two traded with the amount they received and doubled the original sum. The third showed no sense of industry but simply buried his in the ground. The first two are commended by the master upon in his return, and the third is reprimanded and rejected. We are all gifted by God with certain abilities. They are not to be left idle but put to use, especially in the interests of the kingdom of God.
We all know people who have been blessed with ability, and yet they never succeed in actualizing their talents. This is seen within the church as well. Good lectors are vitally important at Mass in order that God’s word be well spoken and understood. Some people have excellent speaking voices but they do not step forward in order to read at liturgy. There are many ways in which church needs can be filled by members of the congregation, but so often people are hesitant to step forward.
Every gift is to be cherished; every talent put to use. The lawyer, the professor, and the doctor have need of the plumber, the electrician, and the grocer. It is not the superiority of the gifts that count; it is the way that they are utilized. It is hard to look back on a life that has not been productive. We want to put those talents to use.

Points to Ponder

Being at peace with neighbor
Recognizing and channeling our gifts
Talents at the service of the church.