Reading 1
1 Cor 1:26-31
Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.
Not many of you were wise by human standards,
not many were powerful,
not many were of noble birth.
Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,
and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing,
to reduce to nothing those who are something,
so that no human being might boast before God.
It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who became for us wisdom from God,
as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
so that, as it is written,
Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.
Gospel
Mt 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.’”
Meditation: Matthew 25:14-30
“Well done, my good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)
When we read the parable of the talents, it’s only natural to think about our own God-given talents. Perhaps we’re good at analyzing situations. Perhaps our hearts go out to those in need. Perhaps we’re hard workers or natural leaders. Maybe we have dancing feet, the gift of gab, or tireless energy.
It’s wonderful to take such an inventory, especially if we praise God for the gifts he has given us and ask him how he would have us use them or increase them. But St. Paul cautions us to see things a little differently. He points out that God has not chosen the wise, the strong or the prestigious. He has not chosen the “gifted.” Rather, God has chosen the simple, the weak, even those who are despised. Why?
Unfortunately, it’s easy for the smart and the powerful to think they’re self-sufficient. They find it harder to admit their need for God, so they remain closed to the love he longs to share with them. It saddens him when we are so blinded by whatever cleverness or strength we have that we keep it for ourselves instead of placing it in his hands and letting him bring it to life.
Does this mean we should minimize our talents? Not at all. Rather, we should ask him for the humility to recognize that those gifts come from him. We should also try to complete the circle by offering our gifts back to him, eager to see what we can do together.
How might this look? It might look like a gourmet cook volunteering at a soup kitchen, getting used to the idea of serving the poor, and then offering to add a new flavor to the soup. It might look like a talented singer teaching a child to cantor for a school Mass. It might look like putting your arms around a friend, even though you have no idea why God is allowing the suffering she is experiencing. In moments like these, both of you can discover the mystery of God’s generous love as you “grow rich” in his grace and favor (Matthew 25:29).
“Father, thank you for the wisdom and strength you give me. Help me wrap these gifts in your love and offer them back to you so that together we can build your kingdom.”
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