The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the extent of our commitment to the mission as a disciple of Jesus.
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| Working with our talents |
The reading from the Second Book of Maccabees describes the martyrdom of seven brothers.
* [6:18–7:42] The stories of Eleazar and of the mother and her seven sons, among the earliest models of “martyrology,” were understandably popular. Written to encourage God’s people in times of persecution, they add gruesome details to the record of tortures, and place long speeches in the mouths of the martyrs.1
A prayer for deliverance from persecutors is in Psalm 17.
* [Psalm 17] A lament of an individual unjustly attacked. Confident of being found innocent, the psalmist cries out for God’s just judgment (Ps 17:1–5) and requests divine help against enemies (Ps 17:6–9a). Those ravenous lions (Ps 17:9b–12) should be punished (Ps 17:13–14). The Psalm ends with a serene statement of praise (Ps 17:15). The Hebrew text of Ps 17:3–4, 14 is uncertain.2
The Parable of the Gold Coins in the Gospel of Luke is a frank look at commitment to our mission.
* [19:11–27] In this parable Luke has combined two originally distinct parables: (1) a parable about the conduct of faithful and productive servants (Lk 19:13, 15b–26) and (2) a parable about a rejected king (Lk 19:12, 14–15a, 27). The story about the conduct of servants occurs in another form in Mt 25:14–20. The story about the rejected king may have originated with a contemporary historical event. After the death of Herod the Great, his son Archelaus traveled to Rome to receive the title of king. A delegation of Jews appeared in Rome before Caesar Augustus to oppose the request of Archelaus. Although not given the title of king, Archelaus was made ruler over Judea and Samaria. As the story is used by Luke, however, it furnishes a correction to the expectation of the imminent end of the age and of the establishment of the kingdom in Jerusalem (Lk 19:11). Jesus is not on his way to Jerusalem to receive the kingly power; for that, he must go away and only after returning from the distant country (a reference to the parousia) will reward and judgment take place.3
Dennis Hamm, S.J. comments about what Luke’s message implies for us in our time.
Loving God, what a different kind of time we live in today. While the main beneficiaries of Jesus’ original teaching and healing ministry were fellow Jews, and the early church struggled for a while with accepting gentiles; now we majority-gentiles are the main beneficiaries of the work of the Jewish Messiah. Yet we now suffer from the wounds caused by us Christians in our frequent mistreatment of our Jewish brothers and sisters whose biblically-rooted faith in a creating, caring God we share. Help us honor that heritage and work to heal the wounds of our separation. The kingdom of God, already celebrated in the Hebrew Scriptures, Jesus widened in his invitation to all to accept God’s reign in their response to their experience of him as the source of all that exists. Even though Luke could see the wisdom of that destiny of the human family, help us take even more seriously that Jesus taught us to pray “Thy kingdom come!”...Help us, Lord, in our violent day, to take more seriously Jesus’ call to resist our inclination to make war.4
Don Schwager quotes “Talents are divine gifts given to the faithful,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).
"To those who believe in him, the Savior distributes a variety of divine gifts. We affirm that this is the meaning of the talent. Truly great is the difference between those who receive the talents and those who have even completely denied his kingdom. They are rebels that throw off the yoke of his scepter, while the others are endowed with the glory of serving him. As faithful servants, therefore, they are entrusted with their Lord’s wealth. They gain something by doing business. They earn the praises due to faithful service, and they are considered worthy of eternal honors." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 129)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 19:11-28 notes like the nobleman in the parable, Jesus is still awaiting kingship. He is still waiting for every knee to bow to him and for everyone to accept his rule and reign at the end of time. (Philippians 2:10). And like the servants awaiting their master’s return, each of us faces the same set of questions: “Will I invest in the coming kingdom? Do I believe in Jesus? Does my faith translate into action?”
This is how God wants us to live. We can double what God has given to us by treating everyone with mercy and generosity. We can even triple the profit as we devote ourselves to telling people about Jesus in the hope that they too will embrace him as their king. Let’s take some risks for this kingdom. Jesus promises great rewards for all who do!
“Jesus, I want to follow you, whatever the cost. Help me to live today as a citizen of your coming kingdom.”6
Msgr. Charles Pope offers a reflection on the Gospel today. Is Jesus being mean here? No. Is He being blunt and painfully clear? Yes. And frankly some of us need it. In these thin-skinned times we may bristle at such talk, but that’s our problem. Good, refreshing honesty and a clear diagnosis are far more important than our precious feelings.
Jesus is speaking in the prophetic tradition – Prophets spoke this way, using startling and often biting imagery and characterizations. Though many today have tried to tame and domesticate Jesus, the real Jesus spoke vividly, in the prophetic tradition. He often used shocking and paradoxical images… Jesus is referring to an actual historical incident and using it to disabuse His listeners of their fond thoughts of a new king.7
Friar Jude Winkler reveals the faith in the resurrection that is developed in the persecution story from the Book of Maccabees. Talents are used for the good of the community. Friar Jude reminds us that the humility we need does not hide our talents.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that in every life there is a crossover moment, after which a person will never be the same again. Somewhere, somehow the challenge comes that sets us on a different path: the path of purpose, the path of integrity, the path of transcendence that lifts us—heart, mind, and soul—above the pitiable level of the comfortable and the mundane.
The democratic system, as originally conceived, upholds a vision that links “care for widows and children” with a commitment to provide food stamps and a living wage for families under stress.
It embodies the soul of a nation that considers the right to breathe clean air and drink clean water, to save wetlands and reduce fossil fuels, to be a responsibility of America’s own Environmental Protection Agency.
It includes the love for all of God’s creation that links Jesus’ cure of Jairus’ daughter (see Matthew 9:18-25) and the man born blind (see John 9) with the moral obligation to provide healthcare and social services to all of us, not simply to some.
It embraces the courage of the Samaritan to reach out to the foreigner (Luke 10:25-37) that made this country open arms toward an immigrant world.
In fact, it is the strength of the link between religion and politics that will determine both the quality of our politics and the authenticity of our religion.8
The return we earn on the talents given by God include active participation in political change that is in harmony with the will of the Father.
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