Collect for 33rd Sunday of Year A

The Collect for the Thirty Third Sunday Year A 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 that is good.

 

 

In making this prayer tangible for during the week, the following reflection questions emerged:

 

 

1. What does it mean to me to be devoted to God?

 

2. How will I show that devotedness to God this coming week?

 

3. How do I feel when I am devoted to God?

 

4. What areas in my life hinder me from being totally devoted to God?

 

5. What steps will I take this week to remove at least one of these hindrances?

 

6.  What does it mean to me to serve God with constancy?

 

 

 

The gospel today of the story of the talents is an interesting one.  We tend to think of the word talents as gifts/abilities/ graces that God has given us.  Indeed this is true.  When we read this Gospel with this definition in mind, it is important that whatever talent that God has given us that through His help that we develop  it/them.   This is the crucial learning for the man with one talent- he buried it and as Jesus points out, did not even put it in the bank to earn interest to give to his master on return.

 

I don't know about you, but at times I feel like the man with one talent when I don't know what to do, feeling down and worried- it is easier to bury the talent than to move forward.  It is like the saying : if life serves you lemons, make lemonade''.  Sometimes this seems impossible and the sourness of the lemons and the pips etc get in the way of the creativity to make the lemonade.

 

 

In the story we do not know whether the man with one talent was lazy or he just did not know what to do.  Perhaps he thought that by burying it, it would give him time to think what to do, and perhaps, he forgot about making the decision or just procrastinated.

 

 

What we do know is Jesus wants us to use our gifts/talents for the benefit of others and not to keep these gifts/talents to ourselves. 

 

The English word "talent" was used to translate the Hebrew word (pronounced) kik-kar, meaning a round loaf, and the Greek word (pronounced) tal-en-ton (from which the English word talent originated) that referred to the standard weights used in a balance, but was also used for a larger unit. The standard for the talent was variable, depending on the Hebrew or Greek usage. A talent ranged from the English equivalent of about 70 to over 90 pounds.

 

According to the Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, whatever its exact value, in the New Testament a talent indicates a large sum of money. The Bible Exposition Commentary: New Testament says that this sum was maybe even as much as a million dollars in today’s currency. No wonder the master was so upset with the servant who buried his one talent in the ground!

 

John B. Carpenter gives a more open interpretation in his article, “The Parable of the Talents in Missionary Perspective“: “Parables are about principles, and this parable is about faithfulness of endeavor.” He goes on to say the money was used as an example of everything with which we have been endowed by God and that we cannot identify the talents more specifically.
R.T. France’s commentary on Matthew argues that talents refers to “the specific privileges and opportunities of the kingdom of heaven…to be faithfully exploited before the master returns.

So when we read this gospel along with the Collect of the day, it is obvious that whatever we have been given by God is to be used for the benefit of others and we are to do this joyfully knowing that we are serving Him.

At the end of each day just before I fall asleep, I like to ask myself in my prayer time  2 questions:

            1. What was I most grateful for today?
            2.  What was I least grateful for today?

I find this is very helpful because it helps me review my day and acknowledge what went well and what needed improvement.  It is important to do it just before you fall asleep, because whatever needs healing or processing can occur during the night and you wake with a greater sense of gratefulness.

Perhaps if you are struggling to think of your gifts/talents/time  or are inclined to say I don't have any talent then why not ask  these same questions in a slightly different manner.

    1. What skills/talents, time, money. conversations and actions did I do today out of love for God?

   2. What skills/ talents, time, money, conversations, and actions could I have done better today.

When we think of our days, they may not be that spectacular.  This is where we can be tempted to think that we do not have anything to offer.   However, think again- even smiling in the street or nodding could make a difference to a person's life that day- you gave your smile, warmth and love to them in that instant. Perhaps it is holding the lift for someone or letting a car come into the traffic( provided it is safe). There are so many ways as there are people- we all can make a difference.

                                So what talent/s will you use for the glory of God this coming week?