Daily Readings - Sat Aug 31 2024
1 Corinthians
26So take care of your vocation, brothers. For not many are wise according to the flesh, not many are powerful, not many are noble27But God has chosen the foolish of the world, so that he may confound the wise. And God has chosen the weak of the world, so that he may confound the strong28And God has chosen the ignoble and contemptible of the world, those who are nothing, so that he may reduce to nothing those who are something29So then, nothing that is of the flesh should glory in his sight30But you are of him in Christ Jesus, who was made by God to be our wisdom and justice and sanctification and redemption31And so, in the same way, it was written: "Whoever glories, should glory in the Lord.
Matthew
14For it is like a man setting out on a long journey, who called his servants and delivered to them his goods15And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, yet to another he gave one, to each according to his own ability. And promptly, he set out16Then he who had received five talents went out, and he made use of these, and he gained another five17And similarly, he who had received two gained another two18But he who had received one, going out, dug into the earth, and he hid the money of his lord19Yet truly, after a long time, the lord of those servants returned and he settled accounts with them20And when he who had received five talents approached, he brought another five talents, saying: ‘Lord, you delivered five talents to me. Behold, I have increased it by another five.21His lord said to him: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful over a few things, I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the gladness of your lord.22Then he who had received two talents also approached, and he said: ‘Lord, you delivered two talents to me. Behold, I have gained another two.23His lord said to him: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful over a few things, I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the gladness of your lord.24Then he who had received one talent, approaching, said: ‘Lord, I know that you are a hard man. You reap where you have not sown, and gather where you have not scattered25And so, being afraid, I went out and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.26But his lord said to him in response: ‘You evil and lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered27Therefore, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and then, at my arrival, at least I would have received what is mine with interest28And so, take the talent away from him and give it the one who has ten talents29For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he shall have in abundance. But from him who has not, even what he seems to have, shall be taken away30And cast that useless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are reminded of the profound responsibility that comes with the gifts God has entrusted to us. The first reading from 1 Corinthians encourages us to recognize that our abilities and status are not of our own making but are gifts from God. It emphasizes that God often chooses the humble and weak to achieve great things, urging us to glory not in ourselves but in the Lord. This theme of stewardship is beautifully illustrated in the Gospel parable of the talents, where a master distributes talents to his servants based on their abilities. Two servants wisely invest their talents, doubling them, while the third servant, driven by fear, buries his talent, leading to his condemnation.
The context of these readings highlights the importance of faith and responsibility. In 1 Corinthians, Paul is addressing a community divided by pride and worldly wisdom, reminding them that true wisdom comes from God. In Matthew, Jesus teaches about the Kingdom of God through the parable, emphasizing faithfulness and the responsible use of one’s gifts. Both readings connect by underscoring that our talents are not for personal glory but for serving God and others. The servants who invested their talents understood their responsibility and acted with faith, while the third servant’s fear led to inaction and loss.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to reflect on how we use the gifts God has given us. Whether it’s our time, skills, or resources, we are called to use them wisely and courageously, trusting in God’s grace. The moral lesson here is one of stewardship and faithfulness. We must not let fear or complacency prevent us from fully engaging with the gifts we’ve been given. Instead, we should embrace our responsibilities with confidence, knowing that our efforts, when aligned with God’s will, can bear abundant fruit. Let us strive to be faithful servants, using our talents to glorify God and serve others, trusting that He will multiply our efforts beyond what we can imagine.