Aug. 30, 2014 Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 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 masters 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 masters 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 masters 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.” Saturday of the Twenty-first week in Ordinary Time Commentary of the day Vatican Council II Dogmatic Constitution on the Church in the modern world “ Gaudium et spes ”, § 33-34 (copyright Libreria Vaticana editrice) You gave me five talents. See, I have made five more. Through his labors and his native endowments man has ceaselessly striven to better his life… In the face of these immense efforts which already preoccupy the whole human race, men agitate numerous questions among themselves. What is the meaning and value of this feverish activity? How are all these things to be put to use?... To believers, this point is settled: considered in itself, this human activity accords with Gods will. For man, created to Gods image, received a mandate to subject to himself the earth and all it contains (Gn 1,27-28), and to govern the world with justice and holiness; a mandate to relate himself and the totality of things to Him who was to be acknowledged as the Lord and Creator of all. Thus, by the subjection of all things to man, the name of God would be wonderful in all the earth. This mandate concerns the whole of everyday activity as well… For the greater mans power becomes, the farther his individual and community responsibility extends. Hence it is clear that men are not deterred by the Christian message from building up the world, or impelled to neglect the welfare of their fellows, but that they are rather more stringently bound to do these very things. Human activity, to be sure, takes its significance from its relationship to man. Just as it proceeds from man, so it is ordered toward man. For when a man works he not only alters things and society, he develops himself as well… A man is more precious for what he is than for what he has. Similarly, all that men do to obtain greater justice, wider brotherhood, a more humane disposition of social relationships has greater worth than technical advances.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:12:31 +0000
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