Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s readings seem a bit harsh. In the first reading, Paul in a way calls the recipients of his letter foolish, weak, and despised. In the Gospel, the “Master” or owner takes away the talent of one of his servants. However, neither reading is meant to be harsh. They can give us insight as to how to live as a disciple of Jesus.
In the first reading, Paul considers “foolish”, “weak”, “lowly and despised” as positive attributes. In a way, he encourages their humility centered around God and affirms that it is better than pride in one’s own abilities. This seems to go against what society taught us about the value of our success and earning that success through hard work. I remember in school that there were so many awards for different achievements like perfect attendance, honor roll, Dean’s List, etc. Paul is implying that aiming to win these awards is not part of Christian discipleship. To be called by God means to rely on God for wisdom and strength rather than our own abilities. Then we can testify to the role of the Gospel in our lives and proclaim the Gospel to everyone. As John the Baptist said in John 3:30, “He must increase. I must decrease.”
In the Gospel, the owner in Jesus’ parable who took away the servant’s one talent and gave it to another servant. This seems harsh if not cruel without context. In Greek, a “talent” refers to a large sum of money, not a personal skill. In this light, the owner entrusted part of his business to his servants, and they agreed to take part in growing the owner’s business. If that’s the case, then what is Jesus’ underlying message? As disciples, God entrusts us with God’s “business” of the Reign of God. Are we like the servant of the one talent who was afraid to invest? How can we be more like the servants who gained more talents? How can we help the Reign of God grow on earth? This Gospel reading can inspire us to look at what holds us back from spreading the Gospel and what we can do to grow it.
—Sr. Emily Sandoval, FMI