COLLECT SERIES
The Mass: Collect Series Icon.
COLLECT
The Collect for the 33rd Sunday of the Year reads as
follows:
The Collect for the 33rd Sunday of the Year reads as
follows:
Grant us, we pray, O Lord Our God,
The constant gladness of being devoted to You,
For it is full and lasting happiness to serve with
constancy the author of all is good.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the
Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
In making this prayer
tangible for during the week, the following reflection questions emerged:
1. Reflect on God as
the author of all good. How has the author of all good written my life and how
has the author of all good written straight with the crooked lines I have
drawn?
2.Reflect on my current
attitude of being devoted to God and the constant glasses it provides.
3. What areas in my
life are not aligned to being devoted to God?
4.What step/s will I
take this coming week to bring these areas into alignment with God’s will for
me?
5. How will I be
constant in serving God this coming week?
GOSPEL REFLECTION Mt 25:14-30
The passage from Matthew 25:14-30, often
referred to as the Parable of the Talents, is a significant teaching in
Catholic theology. This parable, told by Jesus, speaks of a man who, before
going on a journey, entrusts his property to his servants. The amount given to
each servant varies, with one receiving five talents, another two, and another
one. Upon the master's return, he assesses what each servant has done with the
talents. The servants who received five and two talents have doubled their
amount, and they are praised by the master. However, the servant who received
one talent, fearful of losing it, buried it and thus did not generate any
additional value. The master reprimands this servant for his inaction.
This parable is often interpreted as a
teaching about the responsible use of one's gifts and resources. It's not just
about financial or material wealth, but about all the gifts and blessings one
receives from God, including talents, time, and opportunities. The key lessons
from this perspective include:
- Stewardship of Gifts: Catholics believe that all talents and
gifts come from God, and they are to be used for the greater glory of God
and the good of others. This parable encourages believers to actively
engage and develop their God-given talents, not to hide or waste them.
3. The Danger of Fear and Inaction: The servant who buries his talent is often seen as a warning against fear and inaction. Catholics are encouraged to take risks for the sake of goodness and to avoid the paralysis of fear, trusting in God’s providence.
4.Diverse Distribution of Gifts: The different amounts of talents given to each servant highlight that not everyone receives the same gifts or capacities. This diversity calls for a recognition of the unique role each person has in the community and the Church. Therefore, there is no need for people to be jealous of other people’s gifts since God gave them to these people. There is no room for competition and human power when serving in a parish.
5. The Expectation of Growth: The master in the parable expects his servants to generate growth from what they were given. This is seen as a metaphor for spiritual and moral growth, where Catholics are expected to nurture and develop their faith and virtues.
6. The Final Judgment: This parable is also interpreted in the context of the final judgment, where individuals will be accountable to God for how they used their gifts and lived their lives.
Overall, the Parable of the Talents is seen as
a call to active and responsible discipleship, emphasizing the importance of
using one’s gifts in service to God and others. It's a reminder that faith is
not just a matter of belief, but also of action and service.
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