CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Life is a gift of God to us without any merit of ours, but the Christian principle of fulfilling or doing the will of God calls us to a life of stewardship and accountability. We are not only challenged by service but also the transparency of rendering account to God for his trust to confide us with able talents or gifts according to our capability.
This is the penultimate Sunday to the end of the Church´s liturgical year of circle A. There is a call for preparedness at the end of time. A moment of accountability for our Christian stewardship. And also a moment of evaluation of what direction our lives have been in since the beginning of the liturgical year.
OUR THEMES
This is the penultimate Sunday to the last Sunday of the church liturgical calendar. The end of everything is a moment of evaluation and accountability. Hence, the readings remind us of our readiness at all times.
Indeed, we are our behaviour and our behaviour is us. The most perfect reflection of a man´s thoughts, words and actions is through his behaviour. Hence, the readings of the Sunday remind us of the consequences and benefits of our behaviour to us, and others and the merit of eternal life or punishment from God. Even, when his patience, mercy and grace have been with us for a long time.
FIRST READING: PROVERBS 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
The first reading from the Book of Proverbs 31:10-13 does not just refer to the figure of a virtuous and industrious life the pride of her husband, children, and family. It is a clear demonstration of how as Christians married to God and his family: the church must fully develop our God-giving talent in the service of God and humanity.
The Author of the Book of Proverbs praises and honours the virtuous and industrious wife. Profoundly, her beauty, her integrity and dignity are the cherished pride of her husband, household and family.
A symbolic representation of what God look for in her bride: Israel. At the same, the espoused characteristic of God’s relationship with us. God´s timing grace, patience and mercy are for us to be productive with our earthly lives.
Hence, the Psalmist of today in Psalm 127 declares, that there is happiness, prosperity, goodness, fruitfulness and blessedness for those who fear the Lord and are productive in life.
SECOND READING: 1 THESSALONIANS 5:1-6
St. Paul continues his discussion of the Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ or the day of the Lord, which is our end-time in the earthly life. He reminds us that, it is an inevitable and unpredictable event of our human and Christian reality. Therefore, we should be prepared and ready at all times. Living an unapproachable life of grace as children of light and day. While eviting night, darkness and sins.
St. Paul debunks all rumours and arguments about the Lord´s second coming or the soon end time. He urges all to live in light and day, in always readiness because the moment of seemingly peace and security of attitudinal laziness is when the unexpected always happens. A lovely clue to ever readiness as Christians.
GOSPEL: MATTHEW 25:14-30
Jesus in the gospel of today uses the Parable of the Talents to invite or challenge us to be productive. At the same time warns us of the repercussions of our failure to be fruitful. Both physical and spiritual laziness are capital sins, especially when there is a lack of ingenuity or creativity to foster on in life.
Hence, Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew 25:14-30 elaborates that the Christian life is a talent given by the Creator as a gift and we are responsible for its growth and development as it should be. This dutifulness uses our talent, life is what profits us eternal life and happiness.
THERE ARE MANY POINTS UNDERSCORED IN THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS:
1. Life and all its graces are God´s given talents to, us to be productive spiritually and otherwise.
2. Our talents are not even given or distributed but vary by our ability and disposition to God´s grace.
3. There are many talents in life and Christendom:
a. Some have the talent to be a good administrator.
b. Others are good at listening with empathy and sympathy
c. Others are good at fixing things mechanically
d. Some too are good at music, playing instruments, singing or even writing. Etc.
3. Yet, we are expected to know our abilities and limitations in life and put them at the service of God.
4. God does not expect equal results or productivity from us. He does not dictate to us how to use our talents. There can be no Christianity without adventure or effort to try.
5. Grace to be productive is not wishing thinking or hoping for a miracle to reap abundance out of nothing.
6. No matter how little or big our talents are. It must be put at the service of God and others. This is the Christian stewardship of service.
7. It is not the number of talents one has that matters, but how well one uses them. Unused talents lead to decadence, wastage and perishability. While used talents develop into progressive proficiency and mastery of life.
8. Laziness or excuses are not standard for human and Christian growth and development.
9. Productivity means openness to change, growth, development, challenges and knowledge while unproductive implies fixation on an old idea, stereotype mindset to changes, changes and new ideals.
10. Fear of failure, criticism or risk-taking can keep us perpetually undeveloped and unproductive in life, career and Christian living.
This is one of the greatest tragedies in our lives. Courage can bring about transformation, growth and development on a personal and communal level.
11. There are dignity and fulfilment in labour that yield fruits of abundance, responsibility and mastery of life and talents of God.
THE GOSPEL CONTEXT
Contextually, there is no doubt that originally this parable was meant to focus on the lazy and useless servant. There can be little doubt that he stands for the Scribes and the Pharisees, and their attitude to the Law and the truth of God. The useless servant buried his talent in the ground so that he might hand it back to his master exactly as it was.
The ‘Whole aim of the Scribes and Pharisees was to keep the Law exactly as it was. In their phrase, they sought “to build a fence around the Law.” Any change, any development, any alteration, anything new was to them anathema. Their method involved the paralysis of religious truth.
In as much as the truth of God is eternal and universal. Closure to interpreting this truth in the light of new confronting reality or the sign of time renders religion and Christianity obsolete, rigid and unproductive. Hence, closeness to new ideas is counterproductive to grace, and our God-given talents.
CHRISTAIN TALENT
In a nutshell, the Christian life is a talent given to bear fruit and not to lie buried or in the bank, unused. It may seem prudent not to risk our life and talent but in the end, it is not what God expects of us.
OUR PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Lord Jesus Christ, You enriched our individual lives with grace, talents and capabilities to be effective, productive and adventurous in life: socially, physically materially and spiritually. Sad enough, most often, we are cripple by fear, laziness, and over-prudence that leave our life and talent unfulfilled, unused, undeveloped and with stunted growth humanly, spiritually and otherwise. Give us the courage to defy all pretentious excuses to enhance our God-given talent and life to its fullness and may we remain docile and inspire to live a productive and gracious human and Christian life. Amen
