COME AND JOIN IN YOUR MASTER’S HAPPINESS

XXXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 25:14-30

A parable is always aimed at those who hear it, inviting them to reflect and to question themselves. And the parable always points to various aspects that must be taken into consideration. And that’s what we must do as we hear the parable of the talents.

The man who entrusted his property to his servants stands for God, as we are represented by the servants. The Lord has entrusted to us his property. To each one of us, God has entrusted huge and important assets, life being the first one. Indeed, the talents stand for the gifts we have received from God. Even one talent was worthy of a huge fortune, since it was the equivalent of 6,000 denarii, and one denarius was one day’s wage. Thus, the servant who received one talent became wealthy.

Another point of the parable is that the servants did not receive the same. Going by the widespread social justice theories of this age, the man was guilty of discrimination. However, the parable just presents the reality of life in this world. We don’t enjoy the same opportunities and don’t have the same capabilities. Even if the starting point is the same for everybody, the end result will be very different for each one of the participants. The parable makes it clear that each one of the servants was given according to his ability. So there is no reason to complain and point an accusing finger at the provider of all that wealth. None of them was a victim, and none of them suffered injustice.

Both the servant who received five talents and the one who received two were grateful for the trust deposited in them and worked hard and responsibly to get a profit. They invested and obtained good results from their investment. They showed themselves to be worthy of praise by their master, who granted them the deserved reward. And the greatest reward was "come and join in your master’s happiness”. That’s the reward promised to us if we prove to be faithful to the end.

The servant who received one talent was called a “wicked and lazy servant”. He lacked self-confidence, thus being unable to show initiative and creativity. He was dominated by fear and could not risk any adventure that would put the gift received at risk. He was a “good-for-nothing servant”. If he was afraid of losing the money received in any adventurous initiative, he could have safely deposited the money in the bank, thus gaining a reasonable interest.

How do we behave and deal with the gifts (talents) we receive from God? Are we so dependent on others that we cannot take responsibility for ourselves? The Lord is waiting for our contribution towards developing his Kingdom.

PREPARED TO WELCOME THE LORD

XXXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 25:1-13

The first reading is about wisdom, given to those who look for it and love her: “By those who love her she is readily seen and found by those who look for her.” Wisdom is a gift from God, but a gift that must be searched for with all heart. Jesus would say that the Father will “give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Lk 11:13).

Speaking about wisdom, we may confuse it with knowledge, but they are not the same. Knowledge is obtained mainly by effort, studying hard to learn about the most varied subjects. And those subjects may have very little or nothing to do with our lives. Wisdom is proven and tested in life; it enables us to deal with real life so that we situate ourselves in life with others. To manifest itself, wisdom needs to find a listening heart and a willingness to guide our behaviour by its principles.

The parable of the ten bridesmaids serves to illustrate the contrast between wisdom and foolishness. Apparently, there is very little to differentiate between the two groups. Both of them were entrusted with the same task, which was to wait for the bridegroom and to welcome him. Then, something happened, which is quite common in weddings: he was late. In fact, he was very late.  Before that unexpected situation, both wise and foolish reacted in the same manner: "They all grew drowsy and fell asleep.” And all of them had to be woken up to prepare themselves to accompany the groom. It was then that the difference between the two groups came to the fore. The wise had thought about the possibility of a long wait and prepared themselves accordingly, taking extra oil for their lamps. They were prepared for any unexpected situation, thus being ready for any delay. The foolish ones did not think about or prepare for any eventuality. We may ask what the oil represents. The oil reminds us of the anointing that was done on kings and priests, and we remember the Anointed One, that is, the Messiah (Christ) who was anointed with the Holy Spirit. We need to be anointed with the Holy Spirit to keep our faith and our hope alive and to excel in love. The oil represents as well the light of faith that brightens the paths of our life, keeping us faithful to the end.

It came to my mind a passage from the letter to the Ephesians that may be connected to the parable of the bridesmaids:

Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ep 6:11).

Among the weapons to be used, Paul mentions the shield of faith and "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit.” (Ep 6:16-18). And then, we will be ready to welcome the Lord whenever he comes.

YOU SHALL BE HOLY

SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS - Revelation 7:2-4,9-14

As we celebrate today the solemnity of All Saints, we are called upon to reflect on the call to sanctity.

In the book of Leviticus, the call to holiness is presented not only as a command but also as the source of all other commands:

“You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” (Lev 19:2).

“Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God.” (Lev 20:7)

God is holy and, being made in God’s image, we must be holy as well. Saint Paul, when he presents God’s plan of salvation in the letter to the Ephesians, states clearly that we were chosen to be holy:

“… he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” (Ep 1:4).

And, in the first letter to the Thessalonians, he makes it clear: 

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification”. (1 Th 4:3).

Our holiness is no more than a reflection of God’s own holiness. This is not something that we have achieved already. Indeed, we are far from it, but that must be the purpose of our life. This implies a continuous struggle against everything that may deviate us from the path to holiness. We cannot achieve it alone, but we must rely upon God’s grace, who will lead us to perfection.

Whenever we pray “Our Father”, we say, "Hallowed be thy name.” And we are not asking anything for God, who has the plenitude of all goodness. With these words, we ask that God’s holiness may transform us so that it becomes manifest in us.

Today, we give thanks and praise to God for all his servants who lived and worked faithfully and allowed the Spirit of Jesus Christ to transform them in the image of the Beloved Son.

In the psalm that comes after the first reading, we are given a very simple and straightforward path to sancity:

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?

  Who shall stand in his holy place?

The man with clean hands and pure heart,

  who desires not worthless things.

Psalm 24

Whatever we do, we must do it with a clear conscience, never allowing our hearts to be guided and dominated by evil intentions. The same idea is repeated in the Beatitudes: “Happy the pure in heart: they shall see God.” In the Old Testament, we are told that human beings cannot see the face of God and live. In the Gospel, Jesus, who is the face of God, reassures us that the pure in heart shall see God. When that happens, we will receive happiness to the full: 

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 Jn 3:2-3)

On this blessed day, let us join All Saints in heaven singing the song of victory:

Victory to our God, 

who sits on the throne, 

and to the Lamb!’ 

And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, 

‘Amen. 

Praise and glory 

and wisdom and thanksgiving 

and honour and power 

and strength to our God 

for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Rev 7:2-4, 9-14).

IF THEY CRY TO ME, I WILL LISTEN

XXX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 22:34-40

Common people considered Jesus a prophet. They were impressed by his word and by his deeds. He showed wisdom and authority, and he was fearless, daring to challenge the leaders of the people, causing the main religious groups to feel threatened. The Sadducees tried to embarrass him with a question about the resurrection but left humiliated by his answer. Then, the Pharisees tried their luck with a question about the commandments. Indeed, the Pharisees were strict in their keeping of the law, even in the smallest details.  So, they wanted to test his knowledge of the law, and they concentrated on what may be considered its core. They asked, “Which is the greatest commandment of the Law?” Jesus’ answer was clear and straightforward:

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself.

Love is the summary of all the law and all the prophets. And, according to the Law, love is not sweet words but a commitment to God and to his people. The love of God implies recognising Him as the centre and the foundation of my life. Everything comes from him and must lead us to Him, and nothing can take his place, much less usurp his rights. This love of God directs my gaze and my heart towards my neighbour, obliging me to pay attention to his needs and his suffering.

The first reading, taken from the book of Exodus, mentions those in need of compassion and fairness: the stranger, the widow and the orphan, the borrower and the one who has pledged what he needs to survive. And the warning is clear: If they cry to me, “I will listen, for I am full of pity.” (Ex 22:20-26).

Nowadays, the welfare state takes care of most of those cases, and this may induce us to relax and to ignore the suffering of so many whom we encounter in our daily life. There are two parables that we should always remember: the parable of Lazarus and the rich man and the parable of the Good Samaritan. With God, we must learn mercy and compassion.

SALVATION AND GLORY AND POWER BELONG TO OUR GOD

XXIX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 22:15-21

When God’s a plan, he will carry it out, no matter how much we try to oppose it, as the Portuguese proverb puts it: God writes straight in crooked lines. And for that purpose, God works through what seems to be completely human and natural. Cyrus was the founder of the Persian Empire, who became well known for his conquests and his tolerance towards the conquered nations. After conquering Babylon, he allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. Taking into account his lenient policy towards the Jewish people, the prophet Isaiah considers him as the Anointed of the Lord:

It is for the sake of my servant Jacob,

of Israel my chosen one,

that I have called you by your name,

conferring a title though you do not know me.

(Isaiah 45:1, 4-6).

The text of the first reading, taken from Isaiah, invites us to read behind the events and the personalities involved in them to discover a divine purpose and find God’s presence and action. What seems purely secular and without any religious motivation may be pregnant with God’s purpose.

However, there is always the danger of acting as if everything is done in God’s name or as if God is always absent from human history. God is present and active everywhere, even when we try to exclude him. In this secular society of ours, we put God aside and walk along as if he doesn’t exist. And, when we less expect it, there is an explosion of the divine, forcing us to relate to the God of surprises.

In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus gives a piece of advice: "Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.” Caesar – that is, political power – cannot take God’s place, since the exercise of political power is always guided by earthly values. Those in power are ruthless towards anything and anybody that may be a threat to their power. Whenever political power takes God’s place, it is a false god that enslaves those exercising it and those upon whom it is exercised. Despite that danger, political power is needed to establish laws, organise society and protect the harmony and peace of a nation. That’s why Christians are taught to respect those in authority, to obey their laws and to pay the taxes that keep the machinery of the state running. 

We should never forget that God is supreme; being the Most High, there is nothing that supersedes him. From him, we received life, and a life's worth of living belongs to him. We can never worship anything but God.

Hallelujah!

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.

(Rev 19:1)

 I SHALL DWELL IN THE LORD’S HOUSE

XXVIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 22:1-14

Isaiah speaks about a banquet taking place on the Lord’s mountain, where the best foods and the finest wines are served to the guests. And the Prophet gives us the reason for such a banquet: Death has been destroyed, so there will be no more mourning and no more tears because the Lord “will take away his people’s shame everywhere on earth”. Indeed, “we exult and we rejoice that he has saved us; for the hand of the Lord rests on this mountain.” And Isaiah makes it clear that God will invite all peoples for this banquet (Isaiah 25:6-10). God’s purpose is to offer salvation to all. 

In the gospel, we find again the theme of banquet associated with the wedding feast of the royal prince. The parable brings to mind the passage from Isaiah, adding the theme of the royal wedding and making a reading of the history of the people of God, as one of ignorance and disdain, as they refuse the invitation with contempt and hostility. It seems that any pretext was good enough to ignore the invitation. And many of those who received the invitation showed their rebellious and violent character by maltreating and killing the servants of the king. That kind of behaviour attracted harsh punishment. “The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town.”

However, the refusal of the first invitees opened the doors to an immense crowd of common people, brought in from the streets to fill the kingdom hall, sit at their Lord’s table and celebrate the royal wedding. With the hall filled with a huge crowd, the king came in to have a look at the guests, and he was surprised to see one not properly dressed in a wedding garment. The king scolded him and expelled him from the hall. Despite the invitation coming by surprise, leaving him little time to prepare, he should have shown respect. Whoever is invited to the table of the Lord must put on the clothes of righteousness, being dressed with Jesus Christ.

We should examine ourselves and ask, “How do we show respect when we approach the table of the Lord and present our hands to receive the bread of life?” We are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.

“Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (Rev 19:9)

LET YOUR FACE SHINE ON US

XXVII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 21:33-43

In the first reading (Isaiah 5:1-7), the prophet Isaiah compares the people of Israel to a vineyard planted by the Lord with “choice vines”. He took good care of the vineyard and did whatever was needed to have the best grapes. However, it only produced “sour grapes”. And the prophet explains what caused the Lord to be disappointed: “He expected justice, but found bloodshed, integrity, but only a cry of distress.” As a consequence, the Lord abandoned the vineyard and left it to its own fate.

The theme of the vineyard is taken up in the gospel (Matthew 21:33-43), through the parable of the evil tenants. In this parable, Jesus looks at the history of the people of Israel and reads it as a history of betrayal and revolt. The tenants ignored the owner of the vineyard and ill-treated his messengers, beating them up and even killing some of them. In the end, he sent his only son, hoping that they would respect him. However, when they saw the son, they decided to kill him and become the sole owners of the vineyard.

Jesus identified himself with the son sent by the Father and killed by the tenants (the leaders of the people of Israel). Then, Jesus asked his listeners, "Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” And they gave the answer that condemned them: “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him when the season arrives.”

Today, the parable must be applied to us. We are the tenants to whom Jesus entrusted his Church, the vineyard. Time and again, we show the same type of behaviour as the leaders of the people of Israel. We ignore and despise the word of God and those who proclaim it. Like those who came before us, we want to be the owners of our own destiny, defying God and revolting against him. One day, the evil results of such behaviour will come to us.

The Psalm (Psalm 80), which comes after the first reading, is a plea to God, reminding him that he was the one who chose us, and we go on waiting for his mercy and compassion.

God of hosts, turn again, we implore,

  look down from heaven and see.

Visit this vine and protect it,

  the vine your right hand has planted.

The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

And we shall never forsake you again;

  give us life that we may call upon your name.

God of hosts, bring us back;

  let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.