Posted on 08/29/2014 10:46:44 PM PDT by Salvation
August 30, 2014
Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 1 Cor 1:26-31
Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.
Not many of you were wise by human standards,
not many were powerful,
not many were of noble birth.
Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,
and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing,
to reduce to nothing those who are something,
so that no human being might boast before God.
It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who became for us wisdom from God,
as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
so that, as it is written,
Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 33:12-13, 18-19, 20-21
R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Gospel Mt 25:14-30
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.’”
St. Pammachius
Feast Day: August 30
Born: (around) 360 :: Died: 410
Pammachius was a well-known Christian politician in Rome. When he was a young student, he became friends with St. Jerome and they remained friends all their lives.
His wife Paulina, was the second daughter of St. Paula, another good friend of St. Jerome. Then Paulina died in 397, and St. Jerome and St. Paulinus of Nola wrote Pammachius letters filled with sympathy, support and the promise of prayers.
Pammachius was heart-broken and he spent the rest of his life serving in the hospice (rest house) that he and St. Fabiola built. There, pilgrims coming to Rome were welcomed and made comfortable.
Pammachius and Fabiola willingly accepted the poor, the sick and the handicapped. Pammachius felt that the spirit of his wife who had died was with him as he performed his works of mercy. Paulina had been known for her love for the poor and suffering. Her husband now believed that by caring for them, he was paying her the best possible compliment he could.
St. Pammachius was much gentler with his words and ways than the fiery St. Jerome. He often suggested to Jerome that he soften or reword his letters, but Jerome usually did not listen. For example, a man named Jovinian was going about with false teachings. Jerome wrote a strict article clearly marking Jovinian's mistakes.
When Pammachius read the article he asked Jerome to reword the strong language. St. Jerome thanked his friend for his concern, but refused to make the corrections.
Once when St. Jerome and a man named Rufinus had a big quarrel, Pammachius tried to help them settle the disagreement but as usual, Jerome refused to listen.
St. Pammachius knew how to be a good friend. He was always helpful and honest. We can ask him to help us be true to our friends as he was.
He had a little Church built in his house, which today is the Passionist Church of Saints John and Paul. St. Pammachius died in 410 when the Goths took over Rome.
Matthew | |||
English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
Matthew 25 |
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14. | For even as a man going into a far country, called his servants, and delivered to them his goods; | Sicut enim homo peregre proficiscens, vocavit servos suos, et tradidit illis bona sua. | ωσπερ γαρ ανθρωπος αποδημων εκαλεσεν τους ιδιους δουλους και παρεδωκεν αυτοις τα υπαρχοντα αυτου |
15. | And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to every one according to his proper ability: and immediately he took his journey. | Et uni dedit quinque talenta, alii autem duo, alii vero unum, unicuique secundum propriam virtutem : et profectus est statim. | και ω μεν εδωκεν πεντε ταλαντα ω δε δυο ω δε εν εκαστω κατα την ιδιαν δυναμιν και απεδημησεν ευθεως |
16. | And he that had received the five talents, went his way, and traded with the same, and gained other five. | Abiit autem qui quinque talenta acceperat, et operatus est in eis, et lucratus est alia quinque. | πορευθεις δε ο τα πεντε ταλαντα λαβων ειργασατο εν αυτοις και εποιησεν αλλα πεντε ταλαντα |
17. | And in like manner he that had received the two, gained other two. | Similiter et qui duo acceperat, lucratus est alia duo. | ωσαυτως και ο τα δυο εκερδησεν και αυτος αλλα δυο |
18. | But he that had received the one, going his way digged into the earth, and hid his lord's money. | Qui autem unum acceperat, abiens fodit in terram, et abscondit pecuniam domini sui. | ο δε το εν λαβων απελθων ωρυξεν εν τη γη και απεκρυψεν το αργυριον του κυριου αυτου |
19. | But after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them. | Post multum vero temporis venit dominus servorum illorum, et posuit rationem cum eis. | μετα δε χρονον πολυν ερχεται ο κυριος των δουλων εκεινων και συναιρει μετ αυτων λογον |
20. | And he that had received the five talents coming, brought other five talents, saying: Lord, thou didst deliver to me five talents, behold I have gained other five over and above. | Et accedens qui quinque talenta acceperat, obtulit alia quinque talenta, dicens : Domine, quinque talenta tradidisti mihi, ecce alia quinque superlucratus sum. | και προσελθων ο τα πεντε ταλαντα λαβων προσηνεγκεν αλλα πεντε ταλαντα λεγων κυριε πεντε ταλαντα μοι παρεδωκας ιδε αλλα πεντε ταλαντα εκερδησα επ αυτοις |
21. | His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. | Ait illi dominus ejus : Euge serve bone, et fidelis : quia super pauca fuisti fidelis, super multa te constituam ; intra in gaudium domini tui. | εφη δε αυτω ο κυριος αυτου ευ δουλε αγαθε και πιστε επι ολιγα ης πιστος επι πολλων σε καταστησω εισελθε εις την χαραν του κυριου σου |
22. | And he also that had received the two talents came and said: Lord, thou deliveredst two talents to me: behold I have gained other two. | Accessit autem et qui duo talenta acceperat, et ait : Domine, duo talenta tradidisti mihi, ecce alia duo lucratus sum. | προσελθων δε και ο τα δυο ταλαντα λαβων ειπεν κυριε δυο ταλαντα μοι παρεδωκας ιδε αλλα δυο ταλαντα εκερδησα επ αυτοις |
23. | His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant: because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. | Ait illi dominus ejus : Euge serve bone, et fidelis : quia super pauca fuisti fidelis, super multa te constituam ; intra in gaudium domini tui. | εφη αυτω ο κυριος αυτου ευ δουλε αγαθε και πιστε επι ολιγα ης πιστος επι πολλων σε καταστησω εισελθε εις την χαραν του κυριου σου |
24. | But he that had received the one talent, came and said: Lord, I know that thou art a hard man; thou reapest where thou hast not sown, and gatherest where thou hast not strewed. | Accedens autem et qui unum talentum acceperat, ait : Domine, scio quia homo durus es ; metis ubi non seminasti, et congregas ubi non sparsisti : | προσελθων δε και ο το εν ταλαντον ειληφως ειπεν κυριε εγνων σε οτι σκληρος ει ανθρωπος θεριζων οπου ουκ εσπειρας και συναγων οθεν ου διεσκορπισας |
25. | And being afraid I went and hid thy talent in the earth: behold here thou hast that which is thine. | et timens abii, et abscondi talentum tuum in terra : ecce habes quod tuum est. | και φοβηθεις απελθων εκρυψα το ταλαντον σου εν τη γη ιδε εχεις το σον |
26. | And his lord answering, said to him: Wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sow not, and gather where I have not strewed: | Respondens autem dominus ejus, dixit ei : Serve male, et piger, sciebas quia meto ubi non semino, et congrego ubi non sparsi : | αποκριθεις δε ο κυριος αυτου ειπεν αυτω πονηρε δουλε και οκνηρε ηδεις οτι θεριζω οπου ουκ εσπειρα και συναγω οθεν ου διεσκορπισα |
27. | Thou oughtest therefore to have committed my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received my own with usury. | oportuit ergo te committere pecuniam meam numulariis, et veniens ego recepissem utique quod meum est cum usura. | εδει ουν σε βαλειν το αργυριον μου τοις τραπεζιταις και ελθων εγω εκομισαμην αν το εμον συν τοκω |
28. | Take ye away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him that hath ten talents. | Tollite itaque ab eo talentum, et date ei qui habet decem talenta : | αρατε ουν απ αυτου το ταλαντον και δοτε τω εχοντι τα δεκα ταλαντα |
29. | For to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall abound: but from him that hath not, that also which he seemeth to have shall be taken away. | omni enim habenti dabitur, et abundabit : ei autem qui non habet, et quod videtur habere, auferetur ab eo. | τω γαρ εχοντι παντι δοθησεται και περισσευθησεται απο δε του μη εχοντος και ο εχει αρθησεται απ αυτου |
30. | And the unprofitable servant cast ye out into the exterior darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. | Et inutilem servum ejicite in tenebras exteriores : illic erit fletus, et stridor dentium. | και τον αχρειον δουλον εκβαλετε εις το σκοτος το εξωτερον εκει εσται ο κλαυθμος και ο βρυγμος των οδοντων |
Saturday, August 30
Liturgical Color: Green
On this day in 1884 Pope Leo XIII issued
the encyclical Superiore Anno urging all
the faithful to pray the rosary for the
Church. He said in times of trial, the
Rosary is the best way to gain Gods
blessings for the Church and her
members.
Day 261 - What is meant by commutative justice? // Is it permissible to use tax dodges?
What is meant by commutative justice?
Commutative justice regulates exchanges between persons in accordance with a strict respect for their rights. It makes sure that property rights are safeguarded, debts repaid, and freely contracted obligations are fulfilled, that reparation is made for injustice or damage, and that stolen goods are returned.
Is it permissible to use tax dodges?
Inventiveness in dealing with complex systems of taxation is morally unobjectionable. It is immoral to evade taxes or to commit tax fraud, in other words, to falsify, fail to report, or conceal facts so as to prevent a correct assessment of taxes due. By paying taxes, citizens contribute, each according to his ability, so that the State can fulfill its duties. Therefore tax evasion is not a petty infraction. Taxes should be just and proportionate and should be levied by law. (YOUCAT questions 430-431)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (2411-2412) and other references here.
Part 3: Life in Christ (1691 - 2557)
Section 2: The Ten Commandments (2052 - 2557)
Chapter 2: You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself (2196 - 2557)
Article 7: The Seventh Commandment (2401 - 2463)
Jesus said to his disciples: "Love one another even as I have loved you."1 ⇡
II. RESPECT FOR PERSONS AND THEIR GOODS ⇡
Respect for the goods of others ⇡
Contracts are subject to commutative justice which regulates exchanges between persons and between institutions in accordance with a strict respect for their rights. Commutative justice obliges strictly; it requires safeguarding property rights, paying debts, and fulfilling obligations freely contracted. Without commutative justice, no other form of justice is possible. One distinguishes commutative justice from legal justice which concerns what the citizen owes in fairness to the community, and from distributive justice which regulates what the community owes its citizens in proportion to their contributions and needs.
1.
186.
Ex 20:15; Deut 5:19; Mt 19:18.
In virtue of commutative justice, reparation for injustice committed requires the restitution of stolen goods to their owner: Jesus blesses Zacchaeus for his pledge: "If I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold."193 Those who, directly or indirectly, have taken possession of the goods of another, are obliged to make restitution of them, or to return the equivalent in kind or in money, if the goods have disappeared, as well as the profit or advantages their owner would have legitimately obtained from them. Likewise, all who in some manner have taken part in a theft or who have knowingly benefited from it for example, those who ordered it, assisted in it, or received the stolen goods are obliged to make restitution in proportion to their responsibility and to their share of what was stolen.
193.
Daily Readings for:August 30, 2014
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: O God, who cause the minds of the faithful to unite in a single purpose, grant your people to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, amid the uncertainties of this world, our hearts may be fixed on that place where true gladness is found. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
RECIPES
o White Mountain Ring with Vegetable Salad
ACTIVITIES
PRAYERS
o Prayer of the Christian Farmer and Gardener
· Ordinary Time: August 30th
· Saturday of the Twenty-First Week of Ordinary Time; St. Jeanne Jugan
Old Calendar: St. Rose of Lima, virgin; Saints Felix and Adauctus, martyrs; St. Fiacre
Today is the feast of St. Jeanne Jugan, in religion St. Mary of the Cross (1792-1879), foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor.
Sts. Felix and Adauctus were two Roman martyrs under the Diocletian persecution. They are buried in the cemetery of Commodilla at the gates of Rome on the Ostian Way. St. Fiacre, who is in the Roman Martyrology, is from the diocese of Meaux and is the patron saint of gardeners. According to the Tridentine Calendar today is the feast of St. Rose of Lima. The General Roman Calendar now celebrates her feast on August 23.
St. Jeanne Jugan
St Mary of the Cross (in the world: Jeanne Jugan) was born at Cancale, in Brittany, France, on 25 October 1792 in the turbulent period of the French Revolution. She was the sixth of eight children, four of whom died in infancy. Their fisherman father was lost at sea when Jeanne was only four. From her mother and the place of her birth, Jeanne inherited a lively, deep faith and a profound determination that could overcome any difficulty. The political climate and the family's financial plight prevented Jeanne from going to school. She learned to read and write from some ladies of the Third Order of St John Eudes who were numerous in the region.
In Jeanne's world children began working at an early age. She would pray her Rosary while tending the herd, on the high cliffs above the Bay of Cancale. The beautiful view uplifted her soul. At the age of 15 she left home and went to work in a wealthy family not far from Cancale. With her new employer, she went to the help of the needy.
In 1801 Napoleon Bonaparte restored religious freedom and a true spiritual awakening ensued. Numerous missions were preached and it was in this fervent atmosphere that the future Foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor heard the Lord's call.
When a young man asked for her hand in marriage she told him that God wanted her for himself, and was keeping her for a work as yet unknown. And as an immediate response she divided her clothes into two piles, leaving the prettiest to her sisters. She then left for Saint-Servan where for six years she worked as an assistant nurse. She enrolled in the Third Order of St John of Eudes. From that time her one desire was to "be as humble as Jesus".
Health problems obliged Jeanne to leave the hospital. She was taken in by a friend in the Third Order, Miss Lecoq, whom she would serve for 12 years until her death in 1835. In 1839, Jeanne was 47 years old and shared an apartment with two friends: Fanchon, 71, and Virginie Trédaniel, a 17-year-old orphan. In Saint-Servan at that time the economic situation was disastrous; 4,000 out of population of 10,000 were reduced to begging.
One winter evening in 1839, she came across a poor and blind old lady. Jeanne did not hesitate to give the lady her own bed. This was the initial spark that kindled a great blaze of charity. From that time, Jeanne was not to be deterred. In 1841 she rented a large room in which she welcomed 12 elderly people. In 1842, without money, she purchased a dilapidated convent where she soon provided 40 elderly persons with accommodation.
Encouraged by a St John of God brother, she begged for the poor in the streets and founded her institution on abandonment to Providence. In 1845 she won the Montyon Prize, awarded each year "to a poor French man or woman for outstandingly meritorious activity". She founded homes in 1846 in Rennes and in Dinan, in 1847 in Tours, and in 1850 in Angers. The Congregation spread throughout Europe, America, and Africa and shortly after her death, to Asia and Oceania.
It would seem that this fruitfulness was the result of a total and radical dispossession. In 1843, Jeanne had been re-elected Superior. Contrary to all expectations and solely on his own authority, Fr Le Pailleur, named as Superior instead Marie Jamet, who was 21 years old. In his action, Jeanne discerned God's will and supported the work, encouraging the younger sisters by her example.
In 1852, the Bishop of Rennes officially acknowledged the Congregation and appointed Fr Le Pailleur Superior General. His first act was to call Jeanne Jugan back definitively to the Motherhouse for a retirement that was to last 27 long years.
The younger sisters, ever increasing in number with the expansion of the Congregation, did not even realize that she was their Foundress. Jeanne, living in their midst, with her serenity and wisdom, transmitted a constant spirit of praise. "Love God very much; he is so good. Let us entrust ourselves to him".
She died peacefully on 29 August 1879. Her Congregation then numbered 2,400 Little Sisters in 177 homes on three continents. John Paul II beatified her on 3 October 1982.
Excerpted from the Vatican Website
Sts. Felix and Adauctus
In the year 304 Felix was living piously and happily, doing the work of a Christian priest in Rome, when he was captured, along with many other Christians at the start of the persecutions under the Emperor Diocletian. First he was savagely tortured. Then he was sentenced to be beheaded, for no torture sufficed to make him give up his Christian beliefs.
Felix was led to the place of execution. So noble and apparently unconcerned did he seem at the prospect of imminent death that one of the crowd who had so far kept secret his own Christianity, shouted out: 'I too follow and believe the same commandments that this man confesses. I too follow and believe in the same Jesus Christ. And I too will give away my life to further his cause.'
The Roman soldiers rushed to seize the man, and he too was beheaded alongside Saint Felix. Unfortunately no-one even gathered his name. He was therefore dubbed 'Adauctus', which simply means 'the additional one'.
Both martyrs were reverently buried in the cemetery of Commodilla on the Ostian Way. By the time the list of martyrs known as the Depositio Martyrum was compiled in the year 354, they were simply known as 'Felix and Adauctus'.
About thirty years later Pope Damasus ordered that their tomb be restored and he put an inscription over it.
Excerpted from A Calendar of Saints by James Bentley
St. Fiacre
St. Fiacre (also known as Fiachra; Fiachrach; Fiacrius; Fiaker and Fevre) was a hermit at Kilfiachra, Ireland. He left to go to France, and then lived as a solitary at Breuil, Brie, on land given him by St. Faro, bishop of Meaux. Fiacre built a hospice for travelers, attracted many disciples, was known for his charity and aid to the poor, and was consulted by many for his spiritual wisdom. His miracles of healing became legendary. He is the patron saint of gardeners and the cabdrivers of Paris, whose vehicles are called fiacres, since the first coach for hire in Paris was located near the Hotel Saint-Fiacre. He is mentioned in Roman Martyrology for this day.
Excerpted from Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney
Patron: Gardeners; herbalist; florists; potters; needlemakers; cab drivers; against hemorrhoids; against syphilis; barrenness; box makers; fistula; hosiers; pewterers; taxi drivers; sterility; tile makers; against venereal disease.
Symbols: Spade and open book; rosary; birds; spade.
Often Portrayed as: man carrying a spade and a basket of vegetables beside him surrounded by pilgrims and blessing the sick.
Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. (Matthew 25:25)
More often than not, our fears are based on false expectations. That’s definitely true of this unfaithful servant. Notice his words to the master: “I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter.” Somehow, he got the idea that his master was a hard-hearted man who expected him to magically produce vast amounts of wealth from his one talent. So instead of taking a chance, he did nothing.
Unfortunately, this fellow got it all wrong. If his master were that exacting, he wouldn’t have been satisfied with the gains of the other two. But instead, he told them, “Because you have been faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.” He didn’t add up their returns; he just wanted to know if they had put his wealth to good use. He wanted to know if he could trust them because he had bigger things in mind for them.
That’s the way it is with our relationship to God. While he expects us to bear fruit, he doesn’t play a numbers game. He just wants us to understand the basic principle of spiritual investment: it is only as we give away what he has given to us that we will grow into his likeness. Only then will he give us more of his gifts.
The unfaithful servant feared that he could never please his master, so he didn’t even try. We do something similar when we wait for God to assign us some really important task but then ignore the small ones he gives us every day or when we turn aside from his prompting because we think we’re not good enough. The reality is, God is already delighted with us! If we take our eyes off ourselves and start doing his will, he will multiply our efforts with an abundant harvest. But he cannot use our talents if they are buried in a hole marked “When I’m Ready.”
“Lord, open my eyes to the great gifts you’ve given me and the many opportunities I have to use them. Show me how I can be a vessel of your grace and peace!”
1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Psalm 33:12-13, 18-21
Daily Marriage Tip for August 30, 2014:
(Readers Tip) Start and end each day by thanking God for letting this person be in your life. Just a quick smile when they walk in the room tells them you care that they are near you.
Accountability | ||
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August 30, 2014. Saturday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time
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Jesus told his disciples this parable: "A man who was 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.´" Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come to you again in prayer. Even though I cannot see you, I know through faith that you are present in my life. I hope in your promise to be with me. I love you, and I know you love me. Accept this prayer as a token of my love. Petition: Teach me, Lord, to take all that you have given me and make it produce fruit for your kingdom. 1. God’s Gifts: The Gospel tells us clearly that God distributes his gifts among us as he wills, and he entrusts each one of us with a mission. He gives us what we need to produce fruits for his kingdom, and he expects us to use those gifts responsibly and diligently. No two people are exactly alike, and God treats each one individually as a unique person made in his image. We need to live before God and respond to him sincerely by using to the maximum the talents he has given us. Are we making the best use of all that God has given us, or have we neglected some things and taken others for granted? Might we be committing a sin of omission with regards to some of our talents? 2. Life as a Mission: The servants who invest the talents and make a return on them have understood the purpose of their lives and the time they have at their disposal. These servants were generous with everything their master had given them, making it bear fruit, and they received from him the reward of greater intimacy and more responsibility. Each of us is also given a limited amount of time in life to use our various gifts to give glory to God and help save other souls. We too should work every day to hear those words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” 3. The Useless Servant: How often we are paralyzed by fear or false prudence into doing nothing, into trying just to preserve ourselves! Sometimes we don’t take God’s gifts seriously or think we have been given very little, and we use that as a rationalization for making no effort or for producing little for God. We blame circumstances or others; but the fact is we are neglecting to produce the fruits God wants. The master didn’t expect a return of five talents from the servant to whom he gave only one. He would have been happy with a return of one more, but the lazy servant closed in on his egoism, self-love and laziness. We must resolve to use our God-given talents wisely so as to net him a big return. Conversation with Christ: Lord, give me the grace and love to work for your kingdom with all the talents that you have given me. Let me return them all to you with real fruits for your kingdom. Resolution: I will make a plan for evangelizing other souls and look for fruits of holiness in others. |
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All Issues > Volume 30, Issue 5
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To my unborn child,
what I wish to give you in times to come,
happiness, and wisdom,
a life filled with fun,
to explore all adventures of your curious mind,
to become knowledgeable of what you'll find,
as I await your arrival and the presence of newborn cries,
I picture how you'll look when I open up my eyes.
I feel your movements every time I wake each day,
letting mommy know that you're okay,
obstacles I hope you'll overcome,
education I know you'll get done,
I stay up late reading to you,
talking to my stomach,
a feeling I never knew,
hungry all the time
'No doubt you're a son of mine',
You make me feel happy even when I'm sad,
because the formation of another life makes me glad.
Proud of you I am,
I already know how you'll be,
a smart 'lil' man for mommy to see,
no worries from me a mom to be,
to a special baby boy I can't wait to see.
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