Por Fr. Ed Liptak, SDB
This week following the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, let’s give full attention to the Gospel message of Jesus. Matthew places Him seated on the Mount of Olives Looking back toward the Temple Mount still golden in the evening sun. It is within Holy Week. A disciple’s remark on how beautiful it all is prompted Jesus to give a detailed account of the destruction of the Temple and the end of the world. Last week’s Gospel then followed, the wise and foolish virgins, symbols of those who enter or are shut out from the Wedding Feast.
This 33rd week, in that same somber setting, Jesus added our Gospel of the Talents. Let us not twist and squirm away from its intent, both historically and in our own interior life. Jesus was surrounded by his disciples. The parable was meant for them and now it is also for us, His present disciples.
The ’talents’ referred to in the parable are huge sums of money. They represent the splendid gifts of nature and grace given to all of us in varying amounts by God. They remind us too never to quarrel with God. Some people are more ‘talented’ than we are. So be it! Praise the Lord. We wish they had been given even more.
And God’s gifts are meant to be used. They lay a responsibility on us. The greater our ‘talents,’ the more responsible we are to use them properly. Our good Lord wishes to see them multiplied, not just sit there inside us to be selfishly admired. He wishes us to share whatever ‘talents’ we have so that He can give us even more.
It may be that we have concluded about ourselves that our little ‘talent’ is so insignificant that we had better simply ‘hide’ ourselves, poor creatures that we are. But no gift of God is insignificant, and every person must return to Him a proportionate amount according to what we have been given. Or do we wish to be judged, as Jesus said, as wicked, lazy, and useless servants not deserving to share the Master’s joy?
Matthew’s Gospel contains other comparisons where Jesus points out to his disciples how necessary it is to accept the roles intended for them by God. Isn’t it best to hear at our passing:
“Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master’s joy.'”