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Retrieve your hidden treasure
Nov 13, 2023
Faith Focus for the Week
Have I kept any of my gifts hidden for a long time? How might God’s care shine through them if brought out into the light to share with others?
There once was a woman who had been gifted throughout her life with lovely jewelry. Some pieces were family heirlooms. Some of the jewelry came as gifts to mark special occasions. Other pieces she had purchased for herself on her travels. She owned pearls from Japan and glass beads from Venice, silver from Spain and emeralds from Colombia. She had necklaces and brooches, bracelets and earrings and rings.
But as she aged, the woman wore less jewelry. She kept her jewels locked in a safe-deposit box. One day, while at the bank to stash a document in her lockbox, the woman opened the velvet pouches and examined her jewelry.
In her, something shifted. The woman realized that in the dark metal box at the bank, the precious stones did not catch the light and send it winking into the world. Nobody delighted in looking upon those hidden gems — bits of God’s wondrous creation. In the pitch dark of the vault, the precious metals did not gleam in the sunlight or catch the moonlight rays.
The woman removed the jewelry from the lockbox and took it home with her. When her granddaughter graduated from high school, she gave the young woman her emerald earrings. When a niece was married, she gifted the bride with something blue: her sapphire bracelet. Little pleased the woman more than seeing her grandmother’s gold locket adorning her daughter’s neck. And the pearls that the lady hadn’t worn in years — the same necklace locked in the dark vault for years — was worn daily with enormous joy by a dear friend who had never had a trove of her own.
The Catholic steward does not hoard his or her treasures. The steward understands that when we hide our precious gifts, we prevent them from taking their rightful place in the Kingdom.
This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.
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Mt 25:14-30 Jesus continues his teaching about the coming of the Son of Man. The parable of the talents is specifically concerned with the judgment, the moment the master returns to find that two of his servants have invested and doubled all he gave them while the third did nothing. So, it is in the preparation for Jesus’ return. The preparation must be constant, intense and full of fruitful action. Show us the way out of hiding to life and living focused on what is and what is to come. This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.
This parable of the talents is subject to a variety of interpretations. Some argue that it’s a parable about first-century Jews and Jewish Christians, the former (symbolized by the third servant in the story) burying the “ talents ” of Judaism, refusing to take part in the ingathering of gentiles in the advent of Christ. By this interpretation, Matthew seems to be criticizing those who failed to accept Jesus as the Christ, forfeiting thereby their part in God’s fuller saving plan. The first two servants, by contrast, didn’t hoard the treasures of Judaism, the promises and covenants; thus, they’re welcomed into the “master’s joy” (Mt 25:21-23). Whether this interpretation is accurate is something, of course, for scholars to argue. Undoubtedly, however, for those outside Matthew’s community, the parable quickly became a story about believers’ share and participation in the spread of the kingdom of God. We know that Paul had to get onto lazy believers at Thessalonica (cf. 1 Thes 5:14). We know that some may have mistakenly thought Jesus’ return was to happen so soon that they needn’t worry about much of anything, neither work nor evangelization. It’s very likely that early in the life of this parable it was read in this way: as an exhortation for believers to continue on as what Pope Francis has long called “missionary disciples” (Evangelii Gaudium, No. 120). “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,” Jesus says (Mt 28:19). The Gospel does not make idlers. That seems to be the point. Busy in the Kingdom But how should believers busy themselves in the work of the Kingdom? Perhaps this gives us a clue how to read the next parable Matthew offers. “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,” the Son of man says seated on his throne (Mt 25:35). As believers, how do we invest our talents well? By living the life Jesus taught us to live — lives of joy and proclamation and service. By making sure we’re Christians in deed, as well as in word. We needn’t worry about when exactly the Lord will return. As Paul said, “You have no need for anything to be written to you” (1 Thes 5:1). That we know he will return is enough for us. If anything, we know it will be a surprise. What matters is that we realize and act as “children of the light and children of the day” and not children of darkness (1 Thes 5:4-5). And that means we continue our days as humble servants of the Lord, doing works of light even though it is at present dark. We’re to live and act as if heaven is already our reality; because, of course, in a certain sense it is. So, somewhat strangely, we are to prepare for the second coming of Christ by not thinking about it too much. Rather, we are to prepare for his coming by tending to the loves and graces — the presence of Christ — immediately present in our lives now. In the sacraments, in the word of God, in the practice of charity, works of mercy: that’s our focus. God will take care of the rest. As my football coach dad used to tell his linemen, “Take care of the man in front of you. The game will take care of itself.” That, really, is good advice for Christians too. Don’t worry too much about the history of the world or when Christ is coming back to right all the wrongs we see and experience. Instead, love and serve others here and now. Find the Christ who is close and hidden. Find the hungry, the thirsty, the imprisoned and lonely; find them and you will find Christ. And then when you do — or at some other mysteriously merciful point — you’ll find that your talents have increased. And you’ll know the Master’s joy. November 19, 2023 – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Prv 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 1 Thes 5:1-6 Mt 25:14-30 This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.
The Mass is a unique and marvelous sacrifice. It is the mystical reality in which Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is renewed. The Mass is also a sacred banquet where together as the Church family we fulfill Jesus’ command at the Last Supper to “Do this in memory of me.” In many ways, the liturgy is similar to (but certainly more than) a family meal . It may help children to think about Mass as a “holy meal.” Before we sit down to eat together as a family, we usually wash up and get ready. That is similar to what we do when we enter the church and bless ourselves with holy water. The holy water is a reminder of our baptism in which we were “washed clean” of sin in order to be able to share the Eucharist. As families gather around the table, we hear about the important news of the day. We do the same thing at Mass when we listen to the readings, especially the Gospel (the Good News), and say the opening prayers. This helps us prepare our hearts for the rest of the Eucharistic meal. In most homes, dinnertime is a time to talk as a family, to bring up issues that are important to the family as a whole. In some ways, this is what the priest is doing when he preaches the homily. He discusses aspects of our faith life and provides practical applications for living our beliefs after we leave the table of the Lord. Of course, without food there would be no dinner, and without bread and wine there would be no Eucharist, so at Mass we bring up the sacred gifts to the altar just as we bring the food from the kitchen to the dining room table. Before our family starts to eat, we say grace. Praying the Lord’s Prayer and extending the kiss of peace is our Church’s family’s grace, a way to connect and be present to each other. Jesus commanded us to “take and eat.” During Communion, we, as an entire Church family, do that when we share the Body and Blood of Christ. We all eat the same food and the same drink, in the same way as families do at home, only this food and drink, instead of merely nourishing the body, provides nourishment for our souls. We receive the real and true presence of the risen Jesus in the Eucharist, and we look to our eternal life with Christ at the heavenly banquet. Finally, once our family dinner is complete, each of us leave to go about our separate activities. At Mass, the same thing occurs after the dismissal and final blessing, when we “go forth” to “announce the Gospel of the Lord.” When we look at Mass as sharing a holy meal with our beloved brother Jesus and the rest of our Church family, we can come to understand that it is truly “in the breaking of the bread that we come to know him.” This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.
“Mercy always appeals to the goodness of each person, even though it be dormant and numbed. Far from bringing destruction, as we so often desire or want to bring about ourselves, mercy seeks to transform each situation from within. Herein lies the mystery of divine mercy. It seeks and invites us to conversion, it invites us to repentance; it invites us to see the damage being done at every level. Mercy always pierces evil in order to transform it.” — Pope Francis Reflection : Who or what has invited you to see your own goodness in the recent past? Do you tend to look for the goodness or the faults of people you interact with on a regular basis? Take a few minutes to rest in the mystery of divine mercy and allow God’s mercy to well up within you then flow through you in addressing damage in your corner of the world. This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.
Mt 25:14-30 Jesus continues his teaching about the coming of the Son of Man. The parable of the talents is specifically concerned with the judgment, the moment the master returns to find that two of his servants have invested and doubled all he gave them while the third did nothing. So, it is in the preparation for Jesus’ return. The preparation must be constant, intense and full of fruitful action. Show us the way out of hiding to life and living focused on what is and what is to come. This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.
This parable of the talents is subject to a variety of interpretations. Some argue that it’s a parable about first-century Jews and Jewish Christians, the former (symbolized by the third servant in the story) burying the “ talents ” of Judaism, refusing to take part in the ingathering of gentiles in the advent of Christ. By this interpretation, Matthew seems to be criticizing those who failed to accept Jesus as the Christ, forfeiting thereby their part in God’s fuller saving plan. The first two servants, by contrast, didn’t hoard the treasures of Judaism, the promises and covenants; thus, they’re welcomed into the “master’s joy” (Mt 25:21-23). Whether this interpretation is accurate is something, of course, for scholars to argue. Undoubtedly, however, for those outside Matthew’s community, the parable quickly became a story about believers’ share and participation in the spread of the kingdom of God. We know that Paul had to get onto lazy believers at Thessalonica (cf. 1 Thes 5:14). We know that some may have mistakenly thought Jesus’ return was to happen so soon that they needn’t worry about much of anything, neither work nor evangelization. It’s very likely that early in the life of this parable it was read in this way: as an exhortation for believers to continue on as what Pope Francis has long called “missionary disciples” (Evangelii Gaudium, No. 120). “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,” Jesus says (Mt 28:19). The Gospel does not make idlers. That seems to be the point. Busy in the Kingdom But how should believers busy themselves in the work of the Kingdom? Perhaps this gives us a clue how to read the next parable Matthew offers. “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,” the Son of man says seated on his throne (Mt 25:35). As believers, how do we invest our talents well? By living the life Jesus taught us to live — lives of joy and proclamation and service. By making sure we’re Christians in deed, as well as in word. We needn’t worry about when exactly the Lord will return. As Paul said, “You have no need for anything to be written to you” (1 Thes 5:1). That we know he will return is enough for us. If anything, we know it will be a surprise. What matters is that we realize and act as “children of the light and children of the day” and not children of darkness (1 Thes 5:4-5). And that means we continue our days as humble servants of the Lord, doing works of light even though it is at present dark. We’re to live and act as if heaven is already our reality; because, of course, in a certain sense it is. So, somewhat strangely, we are to prepare for the second coming of Christ by not thinking about it too much. Rather, we are to prepare for his coming by tending to the loves and graces — the presence of Christ — immediately present in our lives now. In the sacraments, in the word of God, in the practice of charity, works of mercy: that’s our focus. God will take care of the rest. As my football coach dad used to tell his linemen, “Take care of the man in front of you. The game will take care of itself.” That, really, is good advice for Christians too. Don’t worry too much about the history of the world or when Christ is coming back to right all the wrongs we see and experience. Instead, love and serve others here and now. Find the Christ who is close and hidden. Find the hungry, the thirsty, the imprisoned and lonely; find them and you will find Christ. And then when you do — or at some other mysteriously merciful point — you’ll find that your talents have increased. And you’ll know the Master’s joy. November 19, 2023 – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Prv 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 1 Thes 5:1-6 Mt 25:14-30 This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.
The Mass is a unique and marvelous sacrifice. It is the mystical reality in which Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is renewed. The Mass is also a sacred banquet where together as the Church family we fulfill Jesus’ command at the Last Supper to “Do this in memory of me.” In many ways, the liturgy is similar to (but certainly more than) a family meal . It may help children to think about Mass as a “holy meal.” Before we sit down to eat together as a family, we usually wash up and get ready. That is similar to what we do when we enter the church and bless ourselves with holy water. The holy water is a reminder of our baptism in which we were “washed clean” of sin in order to be able to share the Eucharist. As families gather around the table, we hear about the important news of the day. We do the same thing at Mass when we listen to the readings, especially the Gospel (the Good News), and say the opening prayers. This helps us prepare our hearts for the rest of the Eucharistic meal. In most homes, dinnertime is a time to talk as a family, to bring up issues that are important to the family as a whole. In some ways, this is what the priest is doing when he preaches the homily. He discusses aspects of our faith life and provides practical applications for living our beliefs after we leave the table of the Lord. Of course, without food there would be no dinner, and without bread and wine there would be no Eucharist, so at Mass we bring up the sacred gifts to the altar just as we bring the food from the kitchen to the dining room table. Before our family starts to eat, we say grace. Praying the Lord’s Prayer and extending the kiss of peace is our Church’s family’s grace, a way to connect and be present to each other. Jesus commanded us to “take and eat.” During Communion, we, as an entire Church family, do that when we share the Body and Blood of Christ. We all eat the same food and the same drink, in the same way as families do at home, only this food and drink, instead of merely nourishing the body, provides nourishment for our souls. We receive the real and true presence of the risen Jesus in the Eucharist, and we look to our eternal life with Christ at the heavenly banquet. Finally, once our family dinner is complete, each of us leave to go about our separate activities. At Mass, the same thing occurs after the dismissal and final blessing, when we “go forth” to “announce the Gospel of the Lord.” When we look at Mass as sharing a holy meal with our beloved brother Jesus and the rest of our Church family, we can come to understand that it is truly “in the breaking of the bread that we come to know him.” This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.
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