Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 27, 2022
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.'”
Love amidst the mundane is a recurring theme of the Christian tradition. In today’s gospel, the master who returns home rewards his servants who “were faithful in small matters.” Following the thread of this parable, St. Teresa of Calcutta encouraged us to “do small things with great love.” Likewise, St. Josemaría Escrivá taught that “great holiness consists of carrying out the little duties of each moment.”
The diligent servants are not necessarily rewarded because they were successful venture capitalists. Rather, within the spiritual economy, they responded to a higher call and worked for the greater glory of the Lord. While one returns ten talents to the master and the other returns only four, the response to each is the same: “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”
I recently attended the funeral of my great-uncle. During the homily, I was moved upon learning that he had served as the lead usher at the parish’s 7:30 a.m. Sunday Mass for decades. I love my faith, and I’m a regular Mass-goer, but I don’t typically wake up at dawn on weekends for fun. Uncle Jimmy was a stalwart. He wasn’t attending early Mass just to check the box; he was actively serving the church and welcoming others into the sacraments.
This mundane faithfulness, probably unnoticed by many who knew him, struck me as an example of quietly carrying out little duties with great devotion. I hope and pray that my uncle received the faithful servant’s reward.
What greater welcome to eternity could we hear? “Come, share your master’s joy!”
Prayer
You, Father, share your very life with us: the fire of your love. Your love burns away our sin and shines into the corners of our darkness. Your love and mercy clean and save us, painfully proving that we need cleaning and saving. Sometimes we want to forget our neediness, so we bury your love in the cold earth, afraid of the promise of mercy. But to those who have your love, more will be given. Multiply your life in us, and give us the courage to multiply on earth the shining mercy you place in our trembling hands. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Monica was, above all, a stubborn mother.
She was married at a young age to an adulterous government official with a violent temper. Years of Monica’s patience and prayer converted him to Christianity just before he died. She prayed unceasingly for her children as well, especially for her brilliant but wayward son, Augustine. Priests learned to avoid her because of her persistence in asking for prayers for him.
She followed Augustine as he pursued studies in Carthage and Rome, praying at shrines and chapels the whole way. They both finally arrived at Milan, where they met St. Ambrose. It was under Ambrose’s guidance that Augustine fulfilled his potential and became one of the most brilliant writers and thinkers the Church has ever known. After 17 years of constant prayer, Monica saw her son baptized when he was 32; St. Augustine’s feast day is tomorrow.
St. Monica is the patron saint of alcoholics, victims of abuse and adultery, widows, and mothers facing family difficulties. Her relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. Her story and image are used by high school students who come to campus for a summer conference with the Notre Dame Vision program.
St. Monica, your prayer brought your family to Christ, pray for us!
Image credit:
illustration by Julie Lonneman and used with permission.