Trong thế giới của chúng ta ngày nay, mọi người dường như ai cũng nghĩ tới
lợi nhuận trong việc buôn bá, hay lợi tức trong vièc đầu
tư. Hầu hết chúng ta dành thời gian của chúng
ta làm việc, tĩm cách đầu và lúc nào cũng muốn co thêm lợi nhuận nhiều hơn. Chúng ta muốn có lợi tức to lớn sau khi chúng ta ơã
bỏ ra một số vốn dù lớn hay nhỏ, lợi càng nhiều càng tốt cho chúng ta. Thậm
chí chúng ta còn muốn nhận lãn suất nhiều hơn những gì
chúng ta đã bỏ ra.
Thật vậy, dụ ngôn hôm nay Chúa muốn nói với chúng ta rằng
Thiên Chúa đòi hỏi chúng ta phải biết dùng
những năng khiếu và tài năng mà Chúa đã ban cho
chúng để phát triển và sinh lời cho Nước Chúa. Thiên Chúa muốn
chúng ta được hạnh phúc và được sống cuộc sống thật
đầy đủ với những gì chúng ta đã bò công lao sức lực tài năng của chúng ta để đầu tư vào cuộc sống đời sau. Điều quan trọng là chúng ta phải nhận thấy
và đánh giá cao những gì chúng ta đã đầu tư.
Những ân sủng, tài năng của Thiên Chúa đã
trao ban cho chúng ta một cách tự do và với tình yêu thương thật sự và vĩ đại: chúng ta phải nên cảm tạ, biết
ơn và vui vẻ đón nhận và sử dụng món quà, những năng khếu
của chúng ta một cách đứng đắn, với mục đích vinh danh Thiên Chúa qua
việc giúp ích cộng đồng hay những người thiếu may mắn khác.
Sau hết,, chúng ta hãy cầu nguyện cho
nhau, cho những ai đã cầu nguyện cho chúng ta và cho những ai cần đến những lời cầu
xin
của chúng ta nhiều nhất.
Reflection:
In our world today, everyone seems to be concerned about profit or
return of investment. Most of the time we prefer to receive than to give. We
want a return for what we have put in. We may even want to receive much more
than what we have put in. In today's Gospel parable, is God teaching us about
the importance of profit and return of investment?
Indeed the parable tells us that God demands that we make good
use, the best use, of gifts and talents given to us. God wants us to be happy
and live our lives to the fullest with what we have been given. It is important
that we see and appreciate what we have been given. His gifts have been given
to us freely and with great love: we should be grateful and joyful in our use
of them not only for ourselves but also for others.
Finally,
we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who
need our prayers the most.
Wednesday
33rd Ordinary Time 2023 Luke 19:11-28
“A
nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and
then to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and
told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’ His fellow citizens,
however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, ‘We do not
want this man to be our king.’” Luke 19:12–14
There are three categories of people in this parable. The first
includes those who received a gold coin and followed the master’s request to
“engage in trade” until he returned. The second has those who received the same
command but were lazy and failed to produce any good fruit from that which our
Lord has given them. And the third includes those who “despise” our Lord and do
not want Him as their King.
Upon the king’s return, this first category of people are
represented by the two servants who took the gold coins, engaged in trade, and
made five and ten more. These are those who have much apostolic zeal. God not
only calls us to use the gifts we have received to expand His Kingdom on earth,
He also expects it of us. His expectation is a command of love. For those who
understand this command, they see it as a glorious invitation to make an
eternal difference in the lives of many. They do not see the apostolic works to
which they are called as a burden. Rather, they see them as a joy, and that joy
fuels their efforts. The result will have exponential effects for God’s
Kingdom.
The second category of people is illustrated by the one servant
who kept the one gold coin “stored away in a handkerchief” out of fear. These
are the people who avoid evangelizing and furthering the Kingdom of God out of
fear. Fear is paralyzing. But giving in to fear is a sin. It’s a lack of faith
and trust in God. Serving God will inevitably require courage on our part. It
will demand that we step out of our comfort zone and do that which we may not
immediately feel comfortable doing. But as that servant in the parable
foretold, God is a demanding God. And He will not accept fear as an acceptable
excuse not to zealously help to build the Kingdom of God.
The third category of people is the category in which you
definitely do not want to fall. These are those who actively work to undermine
God’s Kingship and reject Him as God. The world is filled with these people.
The only thing we need to say about those who fall into this category is that
which our Lord said of them. “Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want
me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.”
Reflect, today, upon which category of people your life most fully
resembles. Most likely it is one of the first two. Do you have great zeal for
God’s Kingdom? Are you willing to do all that you can to help build His
Kingdom? Are you willing to do so even at the cost of great personal sacrifice?
If so, then rejoice and know that an abundant reward awaits. But if you are one
who struggles with fear, specifically, if you struggle with a fear to
evangelize, to share the Gospel and to live your faith openly with humility and
love, then spend more time with this parable and the fate of that one servant
who hid the coin in the handkerchief. Engage in the apostolate. Commit yourself
to the furtherance of God’s Kingdom. Dispel all fear and know that you will
never regret putting your whole heart and soul into the service of God and the
building of His Kingdom.
My demanding Lord, You have entrusted me with much, and You demand
that I use all that You have given me to help build Your Kingdom of grace. What
a privilege it is to be called by You and used by You for this apostolic
mission. Please free me from all fear, dear Lord, so that I will never hesitate
to serve You in the ways that You call me to serve. Jesus, I trust in You.
Wednesday
33rd Ordinary Time 2024
Opening Prayer: Lord God, teach
me to be faithful in small matters. May the gift of your grace flourish within
me. I promise to engage in trade with what you have given me and do my best to
produce good fruit for your kingdom.
Encountering the Word of
God
1. Royal Judgment: As Jesus journeys from
Jericho to Jerusalem, he tells a parable addressed to those who thought that
the Kingdom of God would appear immediately. The parable in Luke is similar to
one found in Matthew but also different in some ways. Unlike Matthew’s Parable
of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), in which each servant was given different
amounts of money, each of the servants in Luke’s Parable of the Ten Minas was
given the same amount by a nobleman. Matthew’s parable speaks about a talent, a
monetary unit equal to what a person would earn over 20 years. Luke’s parable
speaks about a mina, equal to the wage earned for 3 to 4 months of work.
Theologically, Luke’s parable refers to Jesus’ ascension into heaven to receive
the kingdom from his Father and to Jesus’ return to judge his disciples, who
are called to work diligently until his return, and to judge those who reject
his royal authority (Luke 19:27) (see Ignatius Catholic Study Bible:
New Testament, 144).
2. You Created All
Things: In Revelation 4 and 5, John was granted a vision of the heavenly liturgy.
Today, we read Revelation 4, which contemplates and praises God for the divine
work of creation. There are many images of and references to creation in John’s
vision. For example, John first mentions the precious stones that were found in
both the Garden of Eden and the Temple in Jerusalem, which was modeled after
the garden. The garden, created by God for us, was understood as the original
sanctuary, where humanity could worship God, enjoy divine blessing, walk with
God, and share in God’s creative work. John also sees a rainbow, which recalls
the recreation of the world after the flood and the renewal of the covenant of
creation with Noah.
3. The Worship of God
the Creator: John then looks at the 24 elders (presbyters) around the throne of
God and contemplates the Holy Spirit in front of the throne. The 24 elders
recall the 24 divisions of priests established by King David to serve in the
Temple in Jerusalem. The four living creatures – the lion, the
calf, the man, and the eagle – recall the Zodiac, which divides the heavens.
The lion that John sees refers to the constellation Leo, the calf or bull to
the constellation Taurus, the man to the constellation Aquarius, and the Eagle
is a substitute for the constellation Scorpio. The stars, in the Book of
Revelation and other books of the Bible, often symbolize angels. What John
contemplates in Revelation 4, then, is the worship of the Lord God by the
angels of heaven, represented by the four living creatures, and by glorified
human beings, represented by the twenty-four elders (royal priests). Here, on
earth, we share in the heavenly liturgy. Through the liturgy of the Church, we
join with the saints and the angels in heaven in praising God for the great
work of creation.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you
reign in heaven, surrounded by the heavenly host and the saints. Keep my eyes
and heart focused on you. When I contemplate the beauty of the world around me,
bring me to praise you and your Father for your great work.
Wednesday
33rd Ordinary Time 2023
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to value the talents you have blessed
me with and generously use them for the glory of your name!
Encountering Christ:
1. He Gave Them Coins: “He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold
coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’” Our Lord
entrusts to all of us the building up of his kingdom! By virtue of our baptism
we have become heirs of the kingdom with Christ. He doesn’t hold back anything
that we need for this task. Jesus wants nothing more than to share what he has
received with us so that, by his grace, we can do even greater works than he
did. If we could only capture what an honor it is to be invested with such
responsibility! Jesus wants us to join our efforts in communion with his
brothers and sisters. Do I have zeal to use my talents to “do the works of God”
that he calls me to? Am I willing to work alongside others in this effort?
2. No King for Us: Despite Jesus’s complete trust in us, we often rebel, and
sometimes show outright disdain, for the talents we have been given. Our fallen
tendency is to want to do it our way and not have to depend on God or anyone
else. Yet, this attitude always leads us to disappointment, frustration, and
loneliness. Jesus tells us: “Apart from me you can do nothing!” When I engage
in work–at home, at the office, or in ministry–am I aware that Jesus has rights
over me, that I am using talents “on loan” from the Father? How seriously do I
take his command to go and bear fruit?
3. Well Done, Good Servant!: “You have been faithful in this very small matter; take
charge of ten cities.” The Lord is never outdone in generosity! If we could
only grasp the depth of love and trust Jesus willingly puts in each of us, we
would fall on our faces in worship and tell him without reserve to ask anything
he wishes of us. No matter what the Lord entrusts to us, little or big, he is
willing to entrust us with even more if we are willing to love and serve him
fully. After all, he created us and knows what is best. We can put ourselves
completely in his hands without hesitation. Do our hearts reflect a servant’s
gratitude toward his good and trustworthy Master?
Conversing with Christ: Jesus, my lord and king, I recognize you as lord of my
life and King of the Universe. I so often struggle with a rebellious spirit
that shouts out “non servium!” (I will not serve!), but I don’t want to give in
to this temptation. I want to serve you in communion with others, with
generosity and fidelity. Make my heart like yours and bear fruit for the
kingdom with the gift of my life!
Resolution: Lord,
today by your grace I will generously and faithfully seek to accomplish well
the small duties of the day.
Wednesday 33rd Ordinary Time Luke 19:11-28
Opening
Prayer: My Lord and my God, I
come into your presence for this time of prayer. I believe that you have
something you wish to say to me today and I open my heart before you to receive
your word. Increase my faith that I may welcome you, my hope that I may cling to
you even when you seem to delay, and my love, that you may live in me more and
more each day.
Encountering
Christ:
The
Value of Time: This passage
puts us in the proper context for the upcoming Solemnity of Christ the King,
the final Sunday of the liturgical year, and the last days before Advent
begins. To prepare for his coming in the manger, we recall that he also reigns
from the throne of his cross, where redemption was won. In this passage, Christ
presents himself as this nobleman who goes off to obtain the kingship for
himself and will one day return. His mission is to redeem his children, as
Universal King. Our mission is to receive this great gift and to cooperate with
him in making his Kingdom present. Each Christian should consider him or
herself counted among these ten servants, charged with the care of “talents” in
the service of our King.
The
Coin: What is the “talent,”
the coin given by the king? It must mean more than human qualities or characteristics,
which we usually refer to as talents. The ending of the passage hints at an
answer: These coins could represent the life of grace, the dwelling of God in
the soul. This sanctifying grace comes from Baptism, we know; it is wounded by
sin but grows with every act of openness and surrender, of trust and
self-giving to God. In a word, love causes this life to grow, because God is
love. And all authentic love comes from him. Fear, doubt, clinging to one’s own
insecurities—these can make us like the fearful servant, unwilling to take the
risk of love.
Great
Love: Jesus’ words at the end
of this passage may seem strong to us—a grave admonition we find it hard to
swallow. But if we dig a bit deeper, we can hear the heart of the King—a King
whose heart would soon be pierced open to wash his children clean in the blood
of the Lamb (c.f. Revelation 7:14). From
the depths of the heart of God, he longs for all to be saved. How often our
response to God’s invitations can be hesitation, fear, or the desire for
control or perfection. But what he desires is faith, hope, and love. So great
is his desire, and often so great our hardness of heart, that he speaks this
strongly, hoping we will understand and heed his warning.
Conversing
with Christ: Lord Jesus, I
place myself at your feet. You are my King and King of the whole world. You
invite me to share in your mission, to make present your Kingdom here, within
my own life, home, family, school, office, circle of influence. This is a great
mission and you know that sometimes I am afraid, I hold back, and I feel I
don’t know what you want from me. Open my heart to greater trust in you so that
I may keep giving myself to others with love, as you do, every day. In this
way, may your grace, your life, increase in me.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will seek to strengthen
the life of grace in my soul by getting to Confession as soon as I can.
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