“Making this PRESENT LIFE, a PLEASENT GIFT to the GREAT GIVER, by seeking His Grace and cooperating with our hard works and determination!
(Based on 1 Thess 4:9-12 and Mt 25:14-30 – Saturday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Week)
Jesus was a classic story-teller.
He loved telling stories and parables.
The parables of Jesus are quite simple and often with humble imagery.
Probably the most touching and best parable of Jesus?
… The Parable of the Prodigal Son!Probably the most challenging parable of Jesus for our society?
…The Parable of the Good Samaritan!Probably the most hopeful parable of Jesus for the lost ones?
…The Parable of the Good Shepherd!Probably the most comforting parable of Jesus for the helpless ones?
…The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus!Probably the most merciful and generous parable of Jesus?
… The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard!And, Probably the most practical and feasible parable of Jesus?
…The Parable of the Talents!
Of course, we may have our own opinions and differences and overlapping with respect to this list.
But many of us will surely agree that the Parable of the Talents is a very practical and do-able parable of Jesus…
… and invites us to shake off our slumber and laziness
… and awake to a life of responsibility and accountability!
The Gospel of the Day, Mt 25:14-30 presents before us this simple-to-understand and practical-to-follow Parable of the Lord: the Parable of the Talents!
Readers are drawn to this Parable because it is simple, clear and easy to understand.
And its lessons are hard to miss!!
This parable tells what to do while we live in this world and the need to be responsible and dutiful.
The Parable introduces the fact that the servants were judged by the way, they managed the master’s resources.
We learn a very crucial truth from this: All that we have belongs to God!
All…
Fully…
Totally…
Everything…
Completely…
… Belongs to GOD!We own nothing…
We hold no space…
We possess no one…
… All belongs to GOD!
He made them…
… He gave them to us
And One Day… He will take them from us again.
Even our life itself is a gift from God!
If only our world and our generation were to grow more and more in this truth…!
How often we hold on to our possessions…
… and go bonkers in preserving and safeguarding them!How often we seek twisted and distorted ways…
… to acquire more wealth and capture vital status and ranks!How often we resort to disgraceful and shameful means…
… to win over positions and powers and authority!How often we play dirty games and indulge in dreadful activities…
… to put down people and go up in dominance!
Another aspect we see the word used in the parable – “talents”.
Usually, when we hear the word “talents” in English, we tend to think of some natural abilities, like…
… playing the piano
… or being good at some sports
… or being skilled in painting or knowing how to handle computers etc…
In the time of Jesus, however…
… the ‘talent’ was referred to a huge amount of money.
One talent would represent approximately 16½ years of salary for a labourer.
To give a man two talents would equal around 33 years of salary….
To give a man five talents would be like giving him 80 years of salary to invest…
That’s indeed a huge amount, isn’t it?
Imagine, how rich would the Owner himself have been!
But what was the criteria in giving different people a particular amount of money?
Each one according to one’s ability
And who made this determination to allocate the amount of money?The Master himself, according to His wish!
Here’s another truth: God is not obligated to treat us, like he treats anyone else.
He can give us more or He can give us less than others.
Some have more money and talent and opportunity and strength and health and relationships than others.
Others have less money and talent and opportunity and strength and health and relationships!
It’s not about being unlucky.
It’s not about our ill-fate.
The Master…
… has total sovereignty and freedom with what and how much HE wants to give to His people!
This leaves us with a choice:
- We can either crib and gripe and grumble and complain about our situation and make excuses and just sit idle!
OR… - We can accept the given situation we are in and start from where we are and do what we can..to the best!
The dynamics of comparison is useless…
… the Tactic of Hard Work is amazing!The strategy of complaining is ineffective…
… the Scheme of Determination is superb!The policy of grumpiness is futile…
… the Approach of Gratefulness is incredible!
The Parable of the Talents is a very Practical Parable that the Lord has offered us!
Yesterday is past…
… tomorrow is the Future.
But Today is a GIFT…
… that’s why, it is called as The PRESENT!
Let’s make this PRESENT, a PLEASENT GIFT to the GREAT GIVER…
… by seeking His Grace and cooperating with our hard works and determination!
God Bless! Live Jesus!
Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE GLORIOUS ADVENT OF CHRIST, THE HOPE OF ISRAEL
Since the Ascension, Christ’s coming in glory has been imminent
This eschatological coming could be accomplished at any moment, even if both it and the final trial that will precede it are “delayed”.
The glorious Messiah’s coming is suspended at every moment of history until his recognition by “all Israel”, for “a hardening has come upon part of Israel” in their “unbelief” toward Jesus.
The “full inclusion” of the Jews in the Messiah’s salvation, in the wake of “the full number of the Gentiles”, will enable the People of God to achieve “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”, in which “God may be all in all” (Cf. CCC # 673-674)
Reflection Capsules 
Very informative and insightful reflection
LikeLike