Daily Readings September 1, 2012

Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time


Lectionary: 430

Reading 1
1 Cor 1:26-31

Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.Not many of you were wise by human standards,not many were powerful,not many were of noble birth.Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,those who count for nothing,to reduce to nothing those who are something,so that no human being might boast before God.

St. Paul is still talking to the Corinthians today and he is calling them to a bit of introspection.  He says, "Consider your own situation.  God didn't call you because you were especially wise, rich or noble.  God chose the foolish, poor and lowly to overcome the strong.   He did this to show that it is His work, not ours."

It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus,who became for us wisdom from God,as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,so that, as it is written,Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.

Your salvation in Christ Jesus is due to God.  Not to your wisdom but to God's.  Therefore, if you boast at all, boast in the work of God.  Not your own.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 33:12-13, 18-19, 20-21

Response. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

It is Catholic doctrine that God calls us first.  Not the other way around.  This is a difficult doctrine for me to wrap my head around.  It has to do with "predestination".  Many people think that this is an exclusively Calvinist doctrine.  It is not.  The Catholic Church held it first.   Let me clarify.

Calvin and Luther took elements of the Catholic doctrine and developed separate doctrines of their own, but did not change the name.  I don't understand any of them, so I won't go into anymore detail on the matter.

Gospel
Mt 25:14-30

Jesus told his disciples this parable:"A man going on a journeycalled 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.

Jesus tells His parable of the talents.  Talents were a form of money in those days.  In the parable, they represent faith.  The man or King who gives the servants the talents, represents Jesus or God.  We are the servants.

Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,and made another five.

The first servant who received the highest share of faith, promptly put it to work and received more faith in exchange.  Faith is a grace received from God.  The more we exercise our faith in works of love, the stronger it becomes and the more it grows.

Likewise, the one who received two made another two.

The second servant received less faith but also put his faith to work and received more in exchange.

You might ask, "Why did one receive more than the other?  It doesn't seem fair."  Well, think about it.  In almost every material gift that I can think of, one will say, "I want one of those."  Another will say, "I want two."  And another might say, "What would I do with it?"  I've even met people who will refuse gifts of money.  Some because they don't want to be obligated.  Others because they really don't feel they need it.  When it comes to faith, God gives us as much as we really want.  The more we want, the more He will give:

Luke 11:13
King James Version (KJV)
¹³ If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the groundand buried his master's money.

The third servant didn't want the faith because he didn't want to be obligated to work.  Therefore, he didn't do anything, effectively digging a hole and putting his faith in it.

After a long timethe master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.

Then God comes back.  This could be a reference to the Final Judgement.  It could also be a reference to the Sacraments, especially Confession.  And also a reference to God's omniscience.  God sees everything and knows everything we do.  Therefore, we are always being judged by God.

The one who had received five talentscame 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.'

So, the one that received more and did more with his faith, is greatly rewarded.  He will sit on a great throne in the Kingdom of God.

Luke 22:30That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

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.'

Likewise, the second servant who accomplished lesser works with his faith, received a lesser throne.

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 plantand 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 plantand gather where I did not scatter?Should you not then have put my money in the bankso 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.'"

Notice what happened to the one who accomplished nothing at all.  He was sent into eternal punishment.  Faith ALONE is not just dead.  It is deadly for your soul.

Sincerely,

De Maria