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:
Are you prepared if the Lord would have an accounting of the talents that
He had given you? In the gospel the master who returned from a journey had an
accounting of the talents that He loaned to His servants.
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 had entrusted us also with talents and
responsibilities according to our abilities. Parents have this inherent
responsibility which they must use for them 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 had entrusted to you. How would you account to the Good Lord? Would
you be like the two productive servants or you would be like the third
unproductive servant who did nothing and risked nothing. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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