Saturday, November 15, 2014

Reflection for Sunday November 16, Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time; Matthew 25:14-30

Gospel: 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.
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Reflection:
What if the master did not return? There would have been no accounting for the servants most especially the third unproductive servant who was given one talent. But the master returned thus creating a problem for the third servant.

Inaction or status quo is never an option in our faith life or even in our life itself. We have to move we have to take calculated risk and sweat it out otherwise we will not grow and bear fruit in our faith life. The same with our daily existence; if we would just lay idle and not move we will not survive we will die of hunger. 

Because of his laziness and lack of initiative to move the third servant was labeled as useless by his master. He was thrown into the darkness of hell where there was grinding and wailing of teeth. 

By our baptism the Good Lord has entrusted us also with talents and responsibilities according to our abilities. If we are parents we have this inherent responsibility which we must use for us to become good and Godly parents.

In what manner could we become good and Godly parents? We teach our children about our faith for the simple reason that we are the first formators or teachers of our children. The home is also the domestic church or the little church where children are initially introduced to Jesus and formed with values. Parents must also teach children how to live simply because God created us to live simply and not to live complicated and worldly lives.

How else could be become productive talent bearers of the Lord in this world? We have to serve the church in whatever capacity, we have to integrate our faith life with our parish church for us to grow more in our faith life. And of course we also have to teach and live our faith so that through us it could grow further.

Someday there would also be an accounting of the talents or responsibilities that Jesus has entrusted to us. How would we report to the Good Lord? Would we be like the two productive servants or we would be like the third unproductive servant who did nothing and risked nothing. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

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