Aug. 31, 2024 -Sat. of 21st Week in Ord. Time
May you continue to grow in loving appreciation of the generous nature of our GOD Who bestows blessings upon us beyond our worth and our imagining. If you had to list your GOoD qualities and talents, what would be the top five? How are you using those GOD-given abilities? Many people take full credit for their achievements. They believe it is because of their innate nature or their hard work that they have made advancements in their life. Yet all GOoD gifts come from GOD. They are meant to be used not for our selfish gains, but for the GOoD of others and the ultimate glory of GOD. Yes, we must put effort into perfecting our GOD-given talents, but ultimately it is GOD Who has gifted us with skills and the ability to enhance the skills so that we can give praise and thanks to GOD.
Readings can be obtained from: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/083124.cfm
Saints Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus:
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saints-joseph-of-arimathea-and-nicodemus
Readings: 1 Corinthians 1: 26-31; Psalm 33: 12-13, 18-19, 20-21; Matthew 25: 14-30
Some people may think that the readings today are in contradiction to each other. St. Paul says that GOD choose the simple minded, the weak, and the lowly and blesses them rather than the intelligent, the strong, and the mighty. In the Gospel, Jesus relates a parable in which the smart and talented individuals are rewarded and given more, while the fearful and timid have what little they had taken away from them. Let us look closer at the message of our readings have for us.
St. Paul reminds the people of Corinth that GOD’s standards are different from human standards. GOD chooses those who are lowly and considered less important to confound the smart and powerful. The focus is on GOD’s power rather than on those who think they are something, in and of themselves. GOD lifts up those who call out for GOD’s help. GOD blesses and enriches the lives of those who put their trust in the Lord Jesus.
In the Gospel, on the other hand, Jesus is focusing on what response people should have to what GOD has given them. Everyone should take what he or she had been given and make the best of it. Once they have done all they can, they must be willing to give it all back to the Giver of the gifts.
As I reflect on the readings, I realize that GOD’s graciousness is beyond our human understanding. GOD bestows divine favors on those whom we would consider least likely to receive them. Once GOD has given the gifts and talents, GOD expects individuals to use them to the best of their ability. If they hid their gifts or do not use them as GOD would have them do, GOD will take away what they have been given.
I am reminded of St. Augustine, whose feast day was last Wednesday. He has been an interesting character for me. He went from a life of revelry and wanton self-pleasure to be a reflective (but active) servant of the Lord Jesus and a servant of the people whom Jesus asked him to serve. One of my favorite quotes of Augustine is “our hearts are restless until they rest in You, O Lord.” Augustine became an exemplary follower of the Lord Jesus as he realized what GOD had done in his life and what a relationship with the Lord Jesus was all about. He realized that GOD was not found in the luxuries of this life. He finally used his GOD-given abilities to spread the Gospel. He was truly grateful for all that GOD had given him and was able to use it to help others draw closer to the Lord Jesus. (An aside: on Tuesday, we celebrated the memory of St. Augustine’s mother, Monica. She spent most of Augustine’s early life praying for him to follow the Lord Jesus.)
The key lesson I take from the readings today is that GOD is the beginning and the end of the process of life. Not only does GOD give us life, but GOD is the Bestower of all aspects of life. Once I humble myself to admit I am nothing without GOD, then GOD can empower me to use the talents and abilities that GOD has given me, all for the purpose of allowing me to use them in the service of others. GOD is also the goal of my life. I should be striving to be with GOD and give back to GOD all that I have received from the Lord Jesus – and with interest.
I must be grateful and thankful for what GOD has given me. And then I must use the abilities GOD has given me for the betterment of myself and others, not in a selfish or fearful way, but in way that will be able to be given back to GOD and with it – glory and praise.
Thus, both readings relate important aspects of our relationships with GOD and others. We are not gifted by GOD because we are important in and of ourselves. GOD seeks those whom the world thinks are worthless, and the Lord Jesus bestows on them talents and abilities so that they will use them to further the spread of the GOoD News and help others. The more we acknowledge what the Lord Jesus does in our lives and are willing to give GOD all the glory and praise, the more we will be given, not for our own sake only, but also for the sake of others.
- The personal question/action for today: What gifts have I received from GOD? How can I use them not just for my own edification, but the building up of other members of the community of faith and the GOoD of others? Who is most in need of the benefits of my GOD-given talents? How can I better serve that individual or those individuals and help him/her/them come to an awareness of GOD’s love for them and GOD’s gifts to them?
Blessed are You, LORD GOD, ever gracious. Through Your GOoDness, You continue to grace us in ways beyond our understanding. You then want us to be accountable for the ways we use what You have given us. As we come to You in prayer this day, we want to give You thanks and praise for Your kindness to us. We also ask Your guidance in the best use of the abilities and blessings You have bestowed on us. May we never think too highly of ourselves, but may we realize our dependence on You. Through the guidance of Your Holy Spirit, may we do our best at all times and show our appreciation by our use of the gifts with which You have graced us. We make this prayer in the name of Jesus, our Master-Teacher, Who is living and reigning with You and the Holy Spirit, our one and only GOD, for ever and ever. Amen.
Song of the Day: Cry for Humility: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZcTQ2RoXO0
Video of the Day:
Sts. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-8XnAWTiDs
I also recommend the series, The Chosen, that portrays the character Nicodemus and other Gospel individuals in a way that gives us insight into what these individuals may have been like during the time of Jesus. https://watch.thechosen.tv/ or other sites.
© rjk, 02-05-23
