PRI Reflections on Scripture | Saturday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time

Join Msgr. Don Fischer as he reads and delivers a short reflection on today’s gospel, followed by 3 1/2 minutes of contemplative music and a closing prayer. Msgr. Don hopes that today’s reflection on the gospel will empower you to carry the Word in your heart throughout the day.

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Gospel

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 master's 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 master's 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 master's 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.’"

Reflection

When we talk about the evolution of consciousness, which is the human person growing, developing and becoming who God intends us to be. We realize that there are stages, and one of the stages is that we have to look carefully at who we are, what talents we have, what abilities we have, and to develop them, to improve on them, to learn about them, to master them.

That's God's plan for the kingdom of God, that we are here to take what God has given us and to make it more. That's the heart of this parable, though this parable has a kind of negative feel to it, unfeeling on the part of the master when he's just been afraid.

But in that fear, you see a most dangerous disposition of not becoming who God has called you to be, because if you try to do it, you're afraid you'll be punished. You're afraid you'll lose his favor. He's a tough master. And the fear kept this man from acting as God intended him to act.

Closing Prayer

Father, give us wisdom, the knowledge we should have of who we are and who we are becoming, and what we are here for. These are the hardest questions for us. And sometimes the answers are so distant that we simply lose interest. Burn within us a passion for self-discovery, developing the gifts that we have for the good of the Kingdom of God. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Kyle Cross