The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to accept the Grace of the Gifts of the Spirit that lead us to knowledge of and faith for our role as workers in the vineyard.
The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians is a salutation to introduce the Corithians to their gifts as Followers of Christ.
* [1:1–9] Paul follows the conventional form for the opening of a Hellenistic letter (cf. Rom 1:1–7), but expands the opening with details carefully chosen to remind the readers of their situation and to suggest some of the issues the letter will discuss.
* [1:1] Called…by the will of God: Paul’s mission and the church’s existence are grounded in God’s initiative. God’s call, grace, and fidelity are central ideas in this introduction, emphasized by repetition and wordplays in the Greek. (1 CORINTHIANS, n.d.)
Psalm 145 praises the Greatness and the Goodness of God.
* [Psalm 145] A hymn in acrostic form; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic poems usually do not develop ideas but consist rather of loosely connected statements. The singer invites all to praise God (Ps 145:1–3, 21). The “works of God” make God present and invite human praise (Ps 145:4–7); they climax in a confession (Ps 145:8–9). God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship (Ps 145:10–20), a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity. (Psalms, PSALM 145, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches the parable of the Faithful or the Unfaithful Slave.
* [24:45–51] The second part of the discourse (see note on Mt 24:1–25:46) begins with this parable of the faithful or unfaithful servant; cf. Lk 12:41–46. It is addressed to the leaders of Matthew’s church; the servant has been put in charge of his master’s household (Mt 24:45) even though that household is composed of those who are his fellow servants (Mt 24:49).
* [24:45] To distribute…proper time: readiness for the master’s return means a vigilance that is accompanied by faithful performance of the duty assigned.
* [24:48] My master…delayed: the note of delay is found also in the other parables of this section; cf. Mt 25:5, 19.
* [24:51] Punish him severely: the Greek verb, found in the New Testament only here and in the Lucan parallel (Lk 12:46), means, literally, “cut in two.” With the hypocrites: see note on Mt 6:2. Matthew classes the unfaithful Christian leader with the unbelieving leaders of Judaism. Wailing and grinding of teeth: see note on Mt 8:11–12. (Matthew, CHAPTER 24, n.d.)
David Crawford comments that If we are to be the “faithful and prudent servant” from today’s readings, we must love our neighbor. And given Jesus’ admonition about the sheep and goats (end of Matthew 25), it seems we should love ALL our neighbors. In other words, we must continually and repeatedly extend God’s love, grace, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness to others. You shall love the Lord, your God, ALL the time with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with ALL your mind; and love ALL your neighbors as yourself. (Crawford, n.d.)
In our interactions, public and private, with individuals and groups who oppose and belittle us and our faith, we can be downright vicious, hostile, hateful – in short, un-Christian – forgetting that, as Dr. King put it: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” We may even behave acceptably, by society’s standards, at our jobs, in politics, as members of community boards; but do we take actions and make decisions that prioritize loving our neighbors? When we act unlovingly – individually or collectively, for whatever reason – we become that wicked servant Jesus warns against.
If this feels a bit daunting, take heart. Thankfully, as Paul assures the Corinthians and us, God has bestowed His grace on us in Christ Jesus. He provides for us and will keep us “firm to the end.” God is faithful! Alleluia! Amen.
Don Schwager quotes “You do not know the day,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).
"But his meaning is like this: If ordinary persons knew when they were going to die, they would surely be striving earnestly at that hour. In order therefore that they may strive, not at that hour only, he does not tell them the hour or day. He wants to keep them on their toes looking for it, that they may be always striving. This is why he made the end of each person's life so uncertain. In this passage he openly implies that he himself is Lord. Nowhere before has he spoken of this so distinctly. But here he seems to me also to be putting to shame those who remain careless about his lordship. They take much more care about a thief taking their money than about their own soul. Those who care about their house and do not want their possessions stolen take measures against the thief. They watch; they are prepared for the thief. So it is with you. You do not know when he will come. But you know assuredly that he will come. If you do not continue to watch, you will not be ready on that day. You will be unprepared. Destruction will come in your sleep. If the person had known when the thief was coming, he would have been prepared. So be like the one who is prepared at all times, so you will escape free. Having then mentioned the judgment, he directs his thoughts next to teachers, speaking of honorable and dishonorable actions. His discourse closes with that which is alarming, for he speaks first of those who do right, then of those who continue in sin." (excerpt from the THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 77.2-3) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 comments that Corinth was a leading Greek city in Paul’s day, a bustling seaport and commercial gateway between Rome in the West and the wealthy civilizations of the East. It attracted people from all over the world and had become a melting pot of different cultures. There was a Jewish community in the city, some of whom had begun to follow Jesus. In addition, some Gentiles had converted to Christianity, so this small church faced a challenge. It was one of the first places where Jews and Gentiles learned to live and worship together as one community. That combination led to a clash of cultures that crops up regularly in Paul’s letter.
Paul certainly gets his message across: Jesus is the center of it all. The Corinthians faced many challenges, and they had a lot to learn. But Paul wanted to remind them why they had come together in the first place: because Jesus had called them and changed their lives. He was their Lord, their source, their purpose, and their guide. He would be their strength and wisdom, the well they would draw from. Jesus would help them love one another and keep them standing firm until his return.
He will do the same for you.
“Jesus, be my strength and my joy today.” (Meditation on 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler discusses the background to Paul’s letter that comes from the geography and social circumstances of Corinth and the Greek emphasis on spirit over matter. The first verses of 1 Corinthians attribute qualities to Jesus that are normally associated with the Holy Spirit. Friar Jude reminds us of a time of accounting message in the Gospel of Matthew.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes Bill Plotkin, Soulcraft, on discovering our unique gift to bring to our community as an introduction to his own discernment about the Center for Action and Contemplation.
Well, the leadership team told me, “We are convinced that you have a gift for America—to preach the gospel to a first world country. There’s not much point in you talking about the poor in Kenya; you need to talk about it in North America.” It was the consensus of the whole group. They said, “It’s your decision, but we strongly recommend that you stay here and keep doing what you are doing. If you are worried about your success guilt, well, you can worry about it!”
I remember driving back from San Antonio, Texas, all the way through the Guadalupe Mountains, and everything was beautiful! I felt so happy, relieved and recommitted to working with the Center for Action and Contemplation. (Rohr, 2022)
We pause to invite the Spirit to inform our questions about our role as followers of Christ as we attempt to live faithfully each day.
References
Crawford, D. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/082522.html
Matthew, CHAPTER 24. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/24?42
Meditation on 1 Corinthians 1:1-9. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/08/25/474709/
1 CORINTHIANS. (n.d.). Corinthians. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/1?1
Psalms, PSALM 145. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/145?2
Rohr, R. (2022, August 25). Seeking God's Will — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/seeking-gods-will-2022-08-25
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=aug25
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