CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP
This is the penultimate Sunday to the end of the Church´s liturgical year of circle A. There is a call for preparedness of the end of time. A moment of accountability for our Christian stewardship. And also a moment of evaluation to what direction our lives have been since the beginning of the liturgical year.
OUR THEMES
Indeed, we are our behaviour and our behaviour are us. The most perfect reflection of a man´s thoughts and actions are through his behaviour. Hence, the readings of the Sunday remind us of the consequences and benefits of our behaviour to us, others and the merit of eternal life or punishment from God. Even, when his patience, mercy and grace with us for a long time.
FIRST READING: PROVERBS 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
The Author of the Book of Proverbs praises and honour 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 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, there are 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 continuing his discussion of the Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ or the day of 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.
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 for the repercussion 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.
There are many points underscore 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.
DIFFERENT PEOPLE DIFFERENT TALENTS
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 in listening with empathy and sympathy
c. Others are good in fixing things mechanically
d. Some too are going in music, playing instruments, singing or even writing
LIFE AND SERVICE IS GOD´S GRACE
4. Yet, we are expected to know our abilities and limitations in life and the service of God.
5. God does not expect equal results or productive from us. He does not dictate to us how to use our talents. There can be no Christianity without adventure or effort to try.
6. Grace to be productive is not a wishing thinking or hoping or miracle to reap abundance out of nothing.
7. 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.
8. 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 to progressive proficiency and mastery of life.
NEW IDEA STEADY CHRISTIAN GROWTH
9. Laziness or excuses are not standard for human and Christian growth and development.
10. Productivity means openness to change, growth, development, challenges and knowledge while unproductive implies fixation to an old idea, stereotype mindset to changes, changes and new ideal.
11. 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. While courage can bring about transformation, growth and development on a personal and communal level.
12. There are dignity and fulfilment in labour that yield fruits of abundance, responsibility and mastery of life and talents of God.
RIGIDITY TO CHANGE
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 counterproductive to grace, and our God-given talents.
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, You graced our individual’s lives with grace, talents and capabilities to be effective, productive and adventurous in life: socially, physically materially and spiritually. Help us to remain docile and inspire to live out the christian stewardship of a productive and gracious human and Christian life. Amen
