Reading 1
Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
When one finds a worthy wife,
her value is far beyond pearls.
Her husband, entrusting his heart to her,
has an unfailing prize.
She brings him good, and not evil,
all the days of her life.
She obtains wool and flax
and works with loving hands.
She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her fingers ply the spindle.
She reaches out her hands to the poor,
and extends her arms to the needy.
Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;
the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her a reward for her labors,
and let her works praise her at the city gates.
Gospel
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"A man going on a journey
called 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.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,
and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground
and buried his master's money.
"After a long time
the master of those servants came back
and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received five talents came 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.'
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.'
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 plant
and 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 plant
and gather where I did not scatter?
Should you not then have put my money in the bank
so 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.'"
Reflection
In today’s first reading from the book of Proverbs, the Sacred Author describes the ideal, virtuous wife in ancient Israel. She puts her skills to use “and works with loving hands,” helps the poor and needy, and is praised for her fear of the Lord rather than her charm or beauty. Indeed, this is a beautiful passage for wives and mothers to take to heart. How are you using your gifts to produce good work in your household? Are you more focused on your adoration of the Lord than your appearance?
But rather than limit this portrait of wise and virtuous living only to married women, our entire Church can see a model for herself in the passage. Our Tradition has long referred to the Church as the “Bride of Christ,” the great love to whom Jesus has entrusted His heart and offered up His life. Every Catholic should strive to be like the wife in Proverbs, to be an “unfailing prize” for Our Lord who has given us everything.
Today’s Gospel parable reinforces this point. While the parable does not use spousal language directly, it sits within a sequence of parables about readiness for the Bridegroom. The story shows the importance of using the “talents” and graces the Master gives to us to do good work and produce good fruit. Just like the wife in the first reading praised for obtaining wool and plying the spindle, so are the servants with five and two talents praised for how they worked and traded to increase the amount. Just as the hardworking wife is more precious than pearls, so are we, the members of the Church, precious to the heavenly Bridegroom for receiving His grace and allowing it to grow in our lives and our hearts.
Yet, we must not define ourselves by our visible output. Notice that the servant with five talents and the servant with two receive identical words of praise from the Master. What matters is our will to serve God — our faithfulness in action and desire to recognize our gifts and use them to build up His kingdom. Only the servant who buries what he was given is rebuked and cast out.
In this way, the Gospel parable can help clarify what it means to have fear of the Lord, which the first reading deems so worthy of praise. Fear of the Lord is not hesitancy or wariness of God’s harshness. These are the excuses that the “lazy and wicked” servant gives. Fear of the Lord, in the virtuous sense, is to recognize that God’s majesty and power, but to respond with worship and a desire to love and please Him all the more. As the Master says: “So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?” If the servant with one talent really knew and loved his Master, then the characteristics he observed should have prompted action, not paralysis.
Just like last week, our lesson today is to pray for wisdom — to seek to imitate the embodiment of Wisdom as she is portrayed in Scripture. Let us ask God to give us the graces — the “talents” — to do whatever work He has set out for us well. Christ our Bridegroom has given us His very Self, holding nothing back, even to the point of continually offering His Body as nourishment in the Holy Eucharist. Let us love Him like a faithful bride, seeking every opportunity to cherish and be close to Him.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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