topleft05.jpg (18208 bytes)HOMILY
Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
 16 November 08


 

With the almost unbelievable downturn in the stock market these past two months, a lot of people have been looking at their quarterly financial statements only to realize that they haven’t been getting much if any of a return on their investment (called “ROI”).  Jesus’ parable relating the story of an absentee landlord who entrusted his wealth to three servants provides a challenging insight into our responsibilities as disciples, one I will pose today by asking “What’s God’s ROI having invested in you?”

To answer that question, it requires identifying the images Jesus used in this parable.

In Jesus day, a “talent” wasn’t some innate ability which enables a human being to do something extraordinary.  No, a talent was a piece of silver some historians believe was worth approximately $1000, the equivalent of roughly 15 years pay for an ordinary laborer.  Today, assuming a laborer makes around $50,000 per year, one talent was the equivalent of $750,000.  Two talents would be worth $1,500,000.  And, three talents would be worth $2,250,000.  The absentee landlord entrusted a total of $4,500,000 to those three servants.

Now, for that audience whose members were listening to Jesus tell this parable, the “catch” had to do with Jewish laws governing liability.  First, faithful Jews could not loan money at usury (for interest); so, to accept usury in return for a loan was to perpetrate an evil.  Second, if a faithful Jew was to lose the money after having invested it—having subjected the money to undue risk—this individual would be held criminally liable and go to jail.  The only option—the third possibility—was to safeguard the talents by burying them.  Why?  Jewish law held that if the money was buried in a hole that was deep enough so a plow could not uncover the stash and the money subsequently was stolen, then the person burying the money would not be held liable because he did what was reasonable.  (We have a similar law in the United States.  It’s called the “reasonable person standard.”)

Upon hearing the absentee landlord condemn the “wicked, lazy servant” for burying his talent, the members of the audience would be stunned, if not flaggerghasted.  The person whom the members of the audience believed was going to be praised by the absentee landlord, ended up being the very person condemned.

Now, two millennia later, Jesus disciples—many of whom have invested for their retirement with the hope of exponential growth (at least, that’s what the mutual fund companies would have had us believe prior to the market’s meltdown the past two months)—are pleased to hear Jesus praise the two servants who accrued a tidy rate of return (a total of 100% over a long period) on their talents and to hear Jesus condemn the servant who buried his one talent.  Even though many of us have seen our retirement portfolios decrease by about 35% on the average, we may feel vindicated when Jesus praises those servants who doubled their money, in distinct contrast to those members of the audience who felt condemned.

But, we had better be careful!  Jesus didn’t tell this parable to endorse free market capitalism or to discourse about good labor relations.  No, Jesus told this parable to challenge his disciples to risk putting their talents to work.

What, then, are these talents Jesus refers to?

In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul designated eight gifts―or “talents”―that God has entrusted to us: the first and foremost, to be apostles; prophets; and teachers; of second place but important, too: to perform mighty deeds; to heal, to assist, to administer, and to speak in words that others would understand.  Not all are to be apostles, prophets, or teachers.  Not all are to perform mighty deeds, heal, or speak in words that others understand.  But, St. Paul says, all of us should all strive to be apostles, prophets, and teachers (1 Corinthians 12:28-30).

These “talents,” then, are not something we earn by our hard work; no, they have been placed into our safekeeping by God.  We do not “own” our talents; no, we are “trustees” who use them and, by so doing, give glory to God through the example of our lives.  We do possess a free will about how we will use our talents, however.  And, day that will come upon us, St. Paul says, like a thief in the night” (Thessalonians 5:2).  Each of us will then have to account for how we invested the talents God has entrusted to us.

So, let’s consider a few of the talents God has entrusted to us and test ourselves to determine what our ROI may be as of this today’s quarterly report:

·       honesty: this requires saying “Yes” when we mean “Yes” and “No” when we mean “No”

Jesus asks: “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15)

lets take the test: Do I engage in doublespeak, wherein in I don’t say either “Yes” or “ No” when I discuss matters pertaining to the faith and morals of the Church?

You might consider this past election cycle and how our faith informed your decision-making process concerning candidates for public office.

·       compassion: this requires caring for others who are in need

Jesus taught: “Take pity on them, dress their wounds, take them to an inn, pay for their lodging, and care for them” (Luke 10:25-37)

lets take the test: Do I neglect other people and their needs because I’m too busy worrying about myself and what I’ve got to do or want to do?

You might consider your responses when you’ve been asked to help around the house with chores.

·       generosity: this requires sharing our possessions with others

Jesus taught: “To everyone whom much is given, much is expected, and from the one who is entrusted with much, much more will be expected” (Luke 12:48)

lets take the test: Do I tell others they can’t have something of mine?  Do I stubbornly refuse to share my possessions with them?

You might consider your responses when your brother or sister has asked you to use something that belongs to you.

·       forgiveness: this requires looking upon others with the eyes of God’s mercy

Jesus taught: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing” (Luke 23:34) and “You are to forgive them not seven times but seventy times seven times” (Matthew 18:22)

lets take the test: How many people am I angry at, am cold-hearted toward, or condemn outright because “I’m right” and “they’re wrong”?

Okay.  Just look at that list and the names on it!

·       faith: this requires giving public expression to our relationship with God

Jesus taught: “Do not place your lamp under a bushel basket or bed” (Mark 4: 22)

lets take the test: Do I keep my mouth shut because I fear offending people by proclaiming what the Scripture and the Church teach?

You might consider what you’d like to say but are afraid to say to people in your life (perhaps important people in your life) about moral issues, including: pre-marital sex and living together before marriage; abortion; embryonic stem cell research; euthanasia; economic justice; and, war.

·       love: this requires giving first place to in our lives to God

Jesus taught: “You are to love the Lord your God with all of your mind, with all of your heart, and with all of your strength....Then, you are to love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39)

lets take the test: Do I offer excuses about why I can’t pray, read scripture, study the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or do something or be some place for another person because I’d rather do what interests me or be at another place that interests me?

You might consider how much attention you have been paying to your own desires and wishes to the exclusion or neglect of the needs of others, not just people far away but perhaps as close as in your own house.
 

God has invested an awful lot in each of us, entrusting us with all of those talents and many others, too!  God expects us to use, to develop, and to cultivate those talents.  While God does not expect us to bear fruit beyond what has been entrusted to us, for sure God expects that we don’t bury those talents.  No, we are to invest those talents, that is, to be lavish in giving away honesty, compassion, generosity, forgiveness, faith, and love.

What we oftentimes don’t reflect upon is how, when we freely give those talents away, they don’t diminish in size and value but increase in both size and value.  As we give away honesty, compassion, generosity, forgiveness, faith, and love, we become more honest, compassionate, generous, forgiving, faithful, and loving.  As disciples, this isn’t “voodoo economics” or “trickle down economics” but “trickle down spirituality” that explains how the “rich get richer”—their ROI increases and increases—and the “poor get poorer”—they end up with no ROI to show.

The parable about the talents is a “wake up” call, one Jesus intends to remind his disciples about how laziness and wickedness—which warrant condemnation—are the consequence of burying their talents.  The wicked and lazy servant offers as his explanation that he was “fearful of failing.”  Confronted by situations where honesty, compassion, generosity, forgiveness, faith, and love were needed, that wicked and lazy servant did nothing because he was afraid.  What?  Afraid of what?  Fearful of being honest, compassionate, generous, forgiving, faithful, and loving?  For Jesus, this is truly reprehensible.  It is these disciples, when the absentee landlord returns, will hear it said of them: “Throw these worthless servants into the darkness outside….Where they can wail and grind their teeth” (Matthew 25:30).

When God—our absentee landlord—returns, today’s parable indicates there will be only one question we will have to answer.  That question is: “What’s my ROI for investing in you?”  As much as we may not like to think about it, this parable clearly indicates that God will punish any wicked and lazy servant who doesn’t invest one’s talents and earn a handsome return on one’s investment.

Later in this gospel, Jesus, says, “Therefore, stay awake!  For you do not know on which day your Lord will come...So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24: 42, 44).  For any of us who may have buried our talents, today’s parable provides a clarion “wake up” call.   Today, not tomorrow—after all, none of us has a guarantee that there will be a tomorrow—is the time to start developing those talents through which our lives will give glory to God.

 

A brief commercial break...

As Catholics, we prepare for Christ's coming by celebrating the season of Advent.  During those four weeks, we prepare the way for Christ to come into our own lives each and every day not just on Christmas day.  For Catholic families, let me suggest five practical ways to prepare for Christ's coming:

1. Place an advent wreath in the center of your dinner table.  Each evening before sitting down for dinner, have one member offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God for His presence in the life of your family and light the appropriate candle(s).

Looking for an advent wreath?  The best advent wreath (and Christmas wreath, by the way) is made of holly not evergreen.  The elements of holly (the holly itself and the red berries) recall the crucifixion of Christ.  He was crowned with thorns.  The thorns bit into his brow, causing red drops of blood to flow.  No color is more associated with Christmas than red, the color of Good Friday.  This symbolism is consistent with scripture: "By the Lord's stripes we are healed."  So, the holly is green, a color associated with life and hope—reminding us of the birth of the Savior—and the berries are red—reminding us of how the gift of eternal life has been won for us through the blood of Christ.

I don't think it's easy to find holly wreathes, but then, I've never looked for one.  I do know that a round metal wire holder and plastic holly branches can be purchased at Michael's.  That would do the trick.  Then remember: three purple and one pink candle.  And, don't forget to place the Advent calendar on the front of the refrigerator.

2. Use an Advent calendar   Hang an advent calendar on the refrigerator door beginning on December 1st.  Each morning, before everyone scatters for the day, have one member of the family open one door and read the scripture verse or describe the biblical scene behind the door.  This is a great way for family members to keep focused on the coming of Christ for the rest of the day.

3. Make a Jesse tree.  The Jesse tree is the traditional way that Catholics recall Jesus' heritage, coming from the line of King David, the son of Jesse.  Have members of the family make a symbol for each day of Advent that marks an important moment in Israel's history (e.g., Noah's ark, Jacob's ladder, Moses' stone tablets, David's harp).  Then, each evening before everyone goes to bed, gather the family around the Jesse tree, have the family member explain the symbol, and hang it on the tree.

4. Celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas on December 6th.  One way to "put Christ back into Christmas" is to reclaim the faith-filled life of heroic virtue revealed in the great Christian saint, St. Nicholas of Myra.  Besides sharing simple gifts with family members, like placing candy in shoes that have been left outside of the bedroom door, share some time with people who are alone, in the hospital, convalescing, etc.

5. Celebrate God's mercy.  Advent is a particularly fitting time for every member of the family to welcome the light of God's forgiveness into the dark places of family life.  Gather the family together and go to church to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance together.  Then, go out for pizza to celebrate God's mercy and a new beginning free from sin.

By participating in these five practical activities to prepare for Christmas day, Catholic families will not only have contemplated their need for God and God's self-revelation through salvation history.  In addition, they will have experienced God present and active in their family's life.  Then, on Christmas day, when family members greet one another by saying, "Merry Christmas," they all will truly be prepared to celebrate the Mass wherein Christ will strengthen and nourish them with his body and blood to bring Christ to the world. 

Then...

With only 40 days left until Christmas Day, the people at Magnificat® produce a companion edition for the season of Advent.   Similar to a what older Catholics may remember as a "prayer book," the companion edition contains all sorts of prayers, readings, reflections, art, and activities for every member of the family to prepare each day of the season of Advent for the coming of Christ at Christmas.

Grandparents might consider purchasing a copy for themselves and copies for each of their grandchildren.  Confirmation sponsors might consider purchasing a copy for themselves as well as the person they sponsored in the faith.  Spouses might purchase a copy for themselves and use it for daily prayer during the season of Advent.  Parents might purchase a copy for the family and use it to lead prayer before dinner each evening.

At a price of $3.95 for 1-4 copies plus $1 shipping/handling, $2.50 for 5-9 copies plus $3 shipping/handling, and $1.50 for 10-49 copies (plus $5 shipping/handling), the companion edition makes a perfect and very affordable opportunity to prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas as well as an Advent gift to spur family, friends, and colleagues toward greater spiritual growth during the season of Advent.

The companion edition has a limited press run that sells out each year.  Furthermore, orders are filled in the order received.  So, place your order early.

To place an order for the 2008 companion edition of Magnificat® for the season of Advent, call 1-970-416-6670 or email specialissue@intrepidgroup.com for ordering information.

 

 

 

 

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