Thứ Bảy, Chúa Nhật 21 Thường Niên
“Loài người không có gì để khoe khoang với Thiên Chúa.” Thật đúng, với thời đại maf chúng ta sống hiện nay và lịch sử gần đây của thế giới. Chiến tranh, hận thù, thảm sát, áp bức, bất công, đói nghèo mà chúng ta có thể giải quyết nhưng không làm được… một danh sách dài vô tận. Tất nhiên, đây không phải là điều Thánh Phaolô nói đến trong lá thư gửi cho các Kitô hữu ở Côrintô. Nhưng có lẽ đây là lời nhắc nhở kịp thời về con người thật của chúng ta, những người dễ dàng tự hào về bản thân và những thành tựu của mình, dù là thành tựu cá nhân hay thành tựu y học, khoa học, công nghệ, v.v. Trong thời đại “khai sáng” của chúng ta, một số người thậm chí còn khoe khoang rằng họ không “cần” đến Thiên Chúa nữa,.
Lạy Chúa, Chúa là sự khôn ngoan, sức mạnh, lòng tốt và sự thánh khiết của chúng ta. Chỉ một mình Chúa được vinh quang.
To boast at all is to presume we have some virtue or goodness or ability of our own that gives us a right to look down on others, compare them unfavourably with ourselves. But the truth is that we don’t have anything of our own. This truth about me is Christian humility, a recognition of my reality.
What we call “mine” is always a gift of God. And that’s especially true of my faith, of my being a Christian. It’s purely God’s choice that’s made me so, not any virtue, talent or ability I could say is “mine”.
Yet, in Christ and through Him I can be proud and boast of what God has done in me, and for me. It’s not pride or boastfulness that makes comparisons or judgements, but one that is graceful, truthful, and humbly grateful. Lord God, You are my wisdom, my power, my goodness, my holiness. To You alone be glory.
“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.’” Matthew 25:20–21
Oftentimes, when we are presented with a story of success versus tragedy, our attention goes to the tragedy first. The parable we are given today, the Parable of the Talents, presents us with three persons. Two of the people display stories of great success. One, however, offers a story that is more tragic. The tragic story ends by the master telling the servant who buried his money that he is a “wicked, lazy servant!” But both of the success stories end with the master saying, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.” Let’s focus upon these success stories.
Both of the servants who were successful doubled the master’s money. Even from a secular point of view, that is very impressive. If you were investing money with a financial advisor and shortly after investing you were told that your money had doubled, you’d be quite pleased. Such a rate of return is rare. This is the first message we should take from this parable. Doubling the gifts and graces God gives us is very doable. The reason for this is not primarily because of us; rather, it’s because of God. By their very nature, God’s gifts to us are meant to grow. By its very nature, grace flows in superabundance; and, when we cooperate with God’s grace, then it grows in an exponential way.
When you consider your own life, what gifts has God given to you that He wants you to use for His glory? Are there gifts buried away that remain stagnant or, even worse, are used for purposes that are contrary to the divine plan for your life? Some of the more obvious gifts you were given within your very nature are your intellect and will. Additionally, you may be extra-talented in one way or another. These are all gifts given on a natural level. In addition to these, God often bestows supernatural gifts in abundance when we begin to use what we have for His glory and for the salvation of others. For example, if you work to share the truths of our faith with others, God will begin to deepen your supernatural gifts of Counsel, Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding so that you will be able to speak about God and His will. All seven of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are among the clearest examples of supernatural gifts given by God as follows: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, Fear of the Lord. The prayer that concludes this reflection comes from a traditional novena to the Holy Spirit and not only asks for these gifts but also gives a short description of them for a better understanding.
Reflect, today, upon the fact that what God has given to you, both on a natural and supernatural level, must be devoted to the service of God and others. Do you do this? Do you try to use every talent, every gift, every part of who you are for God’s glory and the eternal good of others? If you don’t, then those gifts dwindle away. If you do, you will see those gifts of God’s grace grow in manifold ways. Strive to understand the gifts you have received and firmly resolve to use them for God’s glory and the salvation of souls. If you do, you will also hear our Lord say to you one day, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Oh, Lord Jesus Christ, grant me the Spirit of Wisdom, that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal; the Spirit of Understanding, to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth; the Spirit of Counsel, that I may choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining Heaven; the Spirit of Fortitude, that I may bear my cross with Thee and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation; the Spirit of Knowledge, that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints; the Spirit of Piety, that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable; the Spirit of Fear of the Lord, that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Jesus, I trust in You.
Câu chuyện dụ ngôn cũng có thể được áp dụng để nâng cao khả năng tình yêu thương của chúng ta. Thiên Chúa đã cho chúng ta có khả năng bẩm sinh để yêu thương những người khác như: cha mẹ yêu thương con cái, tình bạn được tạo ra một cách tự phát, tình yêu lãng mạn có thể nở dễ dàng. Trong bài đọc thứ Nhất hôm nay, Thánh Phao-lô cũng như Chúa Giêsu qua câu chuyen dụ ngôn đã đều khuyên chúng ta là hãy yêu thương nhau nhiều hơn! Điều này có thể có nghĩa là yêu thương cả những người không dễ thương, không thể thưởng và tìm cách vươn tới những người đang đau khổ, đang cần sự giúp đỡ. Chúng ta có sẵn sàng liều lĩnh hơn để tha thứ và yêu thương đến những kẻ thù của chúng ta, và cần phải biết đầu tư nhiều hơn để gặt hải được nhiều hơn trong tình yêu thương?
The parable of the talents is usually associated with using our God-given talents for the good of all. The parable can also be applied to improving our capacity to love. God has given us an innate capacity to love others: parents love their children, friendships are made spontaneously, and romantic love can bloom effortlessly. Both Paul and the parable urge us to love more! This more can mean loving the unlovable and reaching out to those who are in need. Are we ready to risk more, invest more and reap more love?
What can economics and productivity teach us about the kingdom of heaven? Jesus' story about a businessman who leaves town and entrusts his money with his workers made perfect sense to his audience. Wealthy merchants and businessmen often had to travel abroad and leave the business to others to handle while they were gone. Why did Jesus tell this story and what can it teach us? Most importantly it tells us something about how God deals with us, his disciples and servants. The parable speaks first of the Master's trust in his servants. While he goes away he leaves them with his money to use as they think best. While there were no strings attached, this was obviously a test to see if the Master's workers would be industrious and reliable in their use of the money entrusted to them. The master rewards those who are industrious and faithful and he punishes those who sit by idly and who do nothing with his money. The essence of the parable seems to lie in the servants' conception of responsibility. Each servant entrusted with the master's money was faithful up to a certain point. The servant who buried the master's money was irresponsible. One can bury seeds in the ground and expect them to become productive because they obey natural laws. Coins, however, do not obey natural laws. They obey economic laws and become productive in circulation. The master expected his servants to be productive in the use of his money.
What do coins and the law of economics have to do with the kingdom of God? The Lord entrusts the subjects of his kingdom with gifts and graces and he gives his subjects the freedom to use them as they think best. With each gift and talent, God gives sufficient the means (grace and wisdom) for using them in a fitting way. As the parable of the talents shows, God abhors indifference and an attitude that says it's not worth trying. God honors those who use their talents and gifts for doing good. Those who are faithful with even a little are entrusted with more! But those who neglect or squander what God has entrusted to them will lose what they have. There is an important lesson here for us. No one can stand still for long in the Christian life. We either get more or we lose what we have. We either advance towards God or we slip back. Do you seek to serve God with the gifts, talents, and graces he has given to you?
"Lord Jesus, be the ruler of my heart and thoughts, be the king of my home and relationships, and be the master of my work and service. Help me to make good use of the gifts, talents, time, and resources you give me for your glory and your kingdom."
Opening Prayer: Prayer of St. Augustine, the son of St. Monica.
Encountering Christ:
· When God Isn’t Answering Our Prayers: St. Monica spent years and years praying for the conversion of her husband and son while they continued to live a pagan life of licentiousness and debauchery, far from grace. Like the foolish virgins in this parable, St. Monica may have been tempted to become drowsy and fall asleep. Yet, she persevered. She stayed awake and kept vigil, never losing her confidence that God would answer her prayer.
Lord my God, I believe in you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Insofar as I can, insofar as you have given me the power, I have sought you. I became weary and I labored. O Lord my God, my sole hope, help me to believe and never to cease seeking you. Grant that I may always and ardently seek out your countenance. Give me the strength to seek you, for you help me to find you and you have more and more given me the hope of finding you. Here I am before you with my firmness and my infirmity. Preserve the first and heal the second. Here I am before you with my strength and my ignorance. Where you have opened the door to me, welcome me at the entrance; where you have closed the door to me, open to my cry; enable me to remember you, to understand you, and to love you. Amen.
Encountering Christ:
1. Each According to His Ability: It can be tempting to compare our talents to those of others. Doing this can rob us of energy, and can even deter us from using our talents. This parable mentions how the master gave these talents “each according to his ability.” Our Lord knows what he is doing. We can be confident that he expects us to use what he has given us for his glory. It is not so much about how many or the types of talents we are given, but what we choose to do with them that matters to our Master.
No comments:
Post a Comment