It is a biblical principle that if we are unable to handle the responsibility that God has given us it can be taken away. Today, this Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, we hear Jesus tell a parable in the Gospel of St. Matthew about three servants who were given money by their master. They were told to make use of it while their master was away. When he returned, two of them had used their “talents” and one had not. Jesus concluded the parable by saying: “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.”
So—let’s talk about stewardship: time, talent and treasure. The word ‘stewardship’ comes from Greek and means to manage God’s house. We are God’s house and must “manage” ourselves and all that we have been given by God for God’s Kingdom. The work of any ministry boils down to two powerful, convicting, and moving commitments: to serve and to give. Jesus taught this truth, and He demonstrated this truth. As those who gather around the Lord's Table and share in the Communion that makes us one, we also hear the call of the Savior to remember him by being His bodily presence—His hands, His feet, His voice, His hugs in this world—by committing to serve and to give. This responsibility is conferred upon us by Baptism, and today’s scripture reminds us to “use it or lose it.” We all know that being human can mean that it is very easy to take what we have been given for granted—and that we need to remind ourselves that what we have been given to us by God we must use for His glory. It is an exciting thought to realize that as we use what God has given us for good, He will bless us with even more opportunities for service in this field of souls. That is what is meant in the scripture today about growing rich: rich in love and mercy and grace, rich in joy, rich in relationships. On the other hand, it is a sobering thought to realize that in failing to make productive and responsible use of any gift we have been given, we may lose it. Do you remember that old funny story about the arrival of God and the pronouncement to “better look busy?” We all know that when the bridegroom returns (remember last week’s Gospel!) we had better be prepared, alert and awake. This week we hear how we must also be about employing our gifts for our Father’s business. We are given the opportunity and freedom to act in God’s interests, to transform ourselves and unite ourselves more closely to Him. The talents are the graces supplied to us by God in order that we actualize, fulfill, and perfect our abilities. The talents belong to the master, not to the servants. It is the stewardship of the talents that transforms the servants (us) from slavery to the sharing of “the Master’s joy.” To be “faithful in small matters” means to use the graces of the life in Christ to deepen our relationship with God and others. So the question is: what are you doing with what God has given you? St. Paul tells us today that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.” He reminds us to do what we may now. Name your talents, use them, develop them, share them, and pray for the graces needed to work your talents for the kingdom. Sometimes it is just about showing up, just being there where you are needed: whether it is a helping hand for those less fortunate, praying hard, sharing your blessings—all are needed. Show up, don’t just look busy; be busy about God’s business. There is an old hymn text that says: “Now go forward, press toward the goal. Plentiful harvest waits for you. Faithful servants, fear not death; toil and labor for the Lord. Come, behold, your days pass away. Look ahead, the cross leads the way. While you have breath on this day, give yourself. Forward, go!” Better get going… Keep singing in your hearts! Elizabeth Dyc Just a Note: I am including a link for the music “Os Justi” by the composer Anton Bruckner. The text comes from Psalm 37: “The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom and their tongues speak of what is just. The law of God is in their hearts.” In our turmoil in these times, these are words of which we need to be reminded—sung beautifully. Enjoy! Os justi: https://youtu.be/WJXsK7NPKX0 It is now the month of November, the month of Remembrance. Yesterday (today is Monday as I write this) we celebrated the lives of 45 people in our parish at the All Souls Mass—the largest gathering in the church since the Covid 19 shut down. We celebrated the Feast of All Saints and commemorated all the Faithful Departed (All Souls). Winter begins settling in now as autumn’s colors fade to duller hues of gray and brown. Hints of winter’s coming chill shock our unsuspecting faces; we get out our winter coats from the back of our closets. We leave for work or school in the slow fade of the night’s darkness and we return home in the early evening’s dark embrace. From the beginning of November until late December, each day brings a longer darkness; each night descends with more haste. We live in this season of longer darkness.
I have a hard time with the winter and dark—I suffer from SAD: Seasonal Affect Disorder. I feel very affected by the longer dark; I even have a special lamp to shine upon me at home, and I try to stay busy. Aside from the coming darkness, I feel (today and lately) a pull toward worry: I worry about the election and after-election outcome; I worry about the effects of the pandemic on families, faith, and economics; I worry about the future of any kind of performing art and artists. And, sometimes, we people of faith may find ourselves in a spiritual season of darkness—bestowed on us by circumstance and bad luck (or choices). A job loss, an unwanted divorce, the death of a loved one, the lingering illness of someone precious, the diminishing reserves of retirement, the bitter loss of the mind’s ability, a grievous wounding by a friend, the spiritual failure of a hero... any of these and many more hurts can leave us in a personal season of darkness. In this darkness, faith’s fire doesn’t burn as brightly, and its moments of shining don’t last as long. Life is much more a struggle and faith is very much a battle with our will. This time of the year it is easy to fall in to the depths; everything points us that way—even the readings do so as we come to the end of our liturgical year, as they are about end times. Even what we hear in our faith seems like darkness, too. So, how do we survive any spiritual (or physical) season of darkness? Where do we find fresh hope to continue what seems like a long and arduous journey of faith and living in the very midst of all the tribulation? The Gospel today gives us the answer: Look to your lamps! Each minute of this day is life; it comes once, and then the door is locked on it forever. Like the foolish virgins in Matthew's Gospel today, each of us holds a lamp that is going out. The oil of the parable, this Thirty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, symbolizes the virtue and the interior illumination of those who have heard the Word of God and put it into practice. Is our jar filled with oil so that we may replenish it when we need to? Do we have reserves to help fill the lamps of those around us? Have we filled the jar of our lives with things that will give no light to us or anyone else? We must keep our lamps filled and lit like the wise virgins of today’s Gospel. This will help us to endure the darkness before the dawn. We need to remember how God brings us blessings, even in seasons of doubt and dark. Since life can be a struggle and the spiritual dimensions of our life a battle, we often miss touches of grace, the surprising moments of joy and delight. However, if we look closely we will find them! God joins us in the dimmest parts of our darkness, and holy Wisdom is our guide! In our darkest of days He carries us and sustains us in so many ways: He sends friends to help with an encouraging word or a needed rebuke; He supplies us with increased strength to weather our nighttime storms; He prevents an unseen attack from the evil one when we are most vulnerable; He answers hundreds of our prayers (even when the one we most want seems to remain unaddressed); He speaks to us through His Spirit—filling our lamps in the songs we sing and with words of Scripture when we open ourselves up to his Word. God pours love into our hearts through his Spirit and strengthens us in ways we cannot know in response to the prayers of others on our behalf. Yes, sometimes we face grueling periods of perseverance brought on by life’s trials or our own failures and sin. But even in a long, dark season, even in the darkest of nights that try our human soul, we are not abandoned. No matter what our circumstances suggest, God is faithful and has promised that the night will pass; we are not forsaken. No matter how long the night may seem, morning will come with joy! Hold on if you are in this season. And if you, yourself, are not currently in the dark, please help someone else fill their lamps with the oil of salvation. Point them to the Light until their darkness passes. Keep singing in your hearts! Elizabeth Dyc Just a Note: November is the month of remembrance for those who have passed on to eternal life. In the face of loss, we are given the hope of salvation. Another choral offering: “In Remembrance” from Requiem by Eleanor Daley—a song of hope and memory in the midst of death of all the things here and now that our loved ones are for us in this field of souls. Give it a listen—it brought tears to my eyes as I remembered those I love still… In Remembrance: https://youtu.be/i95FX-xMaKA |
AuthorsDavid J. Conrad, M.A. Theology. Our Director of Faith Formation. Archives
May 2024
Categories |
St. Aidan Catholic Church
17500 Farmington Rd. Livonia, MI 48152 Phone: 734-425-5950 office@saintaidanlivonia.org Weekend Mass Schedule Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM Sunday: 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 AM |