A HOLE IN THE GROUND?

TWENTY- FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

August 28, Saturday

 

      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?

 

First Reading: 1 Thessalonian 4:9-11

Regarding life together and getting along with each other, you don’t need me to tell you what to do. You’re God-taught in these matters. Just love one another! You’re already good at it; your friends all over the province of Macedonia are the evidence. Keep it up; get better and better at it.

Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job. You’ve heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts.

 

Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30

“It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money.

“After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’

“The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’

“The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’

“The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.

“‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’

 

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. Amen.

 

Reflection:

Do not be afraid to take risks

Pope Francis compares this parable with the life of every individual. He says, this parable has a beginning, a middle and an end, which shed light on the beginning, the middle and the end of our lives. The beginning. Everything begins with a great good. The master does not keep his wealth to himself, but gives it to his servants; five talents to one, two to another, one to a third, “to each according to his ability” (Mt 25:15). It has been calculated that a single talent was equivalent to the income of some twenty years’ work: it was of enormous value, and would be sufficient for a lifetime. This is the beginning. For us too, everything always begins with grace, not with our own efforts – with the grace of God, entrusting different talents to each of us. The life we have received, the good qualities that we possess, the indelible beauty God has given us by making us in his image… This is the huge amount of talent that God has left with us. It is sufficient for our life time. But often times, we look only at the things we lack, and we complain about what we lack. We are seldom content or satisfied with what we have. We are so obsessed with the phrase, “If only…”! If only I had that job, if only I had that home, if only I didn’t have this or that problem, … Those illusory words – if only! – prevent us from seeing the good all around us. In the Gospel, good servants are those who take risks. They are not fearful and over-cautious, they do not cling to what they possess. If goodness is not invested, it is lost. How many people spend their lives simply accumulating possessions, concerned only about the good life and not the good they can do. Jesus addressed those servants who took the risk, calling them “faithful” (vv. 21, 23). If you do not take risks, you will end up like the third servant: burying his abilities, your spiritual and material riches and everything”. There is no faithfulness without risk. Fidelity to God means handing over our life, letting our carefully laid plans be disrupted by our need to serve. “But I have my plans, and if I have to serve…”. Let your plans be upset, go and serve. In God’s Kingdom, there is no room for people who are lazy and scared. The third servant had said that “he was afraid”. Fear is a game of the devil and it shows our lack of faith and trust in God. One who trusts God, will not afraid of anything. He or she will cherish the freedom of being a child of God and will dare to take the risks.

 

Video available on youtube: Do not be afraid to take risks