Wednesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time (November 22, 2017): Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr

Thứ Ba, 21-11-2017 | 15:56:05

Today’s Readings:2 Maccabees 7:1,20-31
Ps 17:1,5-6,8b, 15
Luke 19:11-28
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/112217.cfm

USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/17_11_22.mp3

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.

While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
So he said,
“A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’
His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
‘We do not want this man to be our king.’
But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said,
‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’
He replied, ‘Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.’
Then the second came and reported,
‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’
And to this servant too he said,
‘You, take charge of five cities.’
Then the other servant came and said,
‘Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.’
He said to him,
‘With your own words I shall condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’
And to those standing by he said,
‘Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant who has ten.’
But they said to him,
‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’
He replied, ‘I tell you,
to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them before me.'”

After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

Good News Reflection: Use it or lose it

Ancient and sacred Christian tradition recalls that the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary dedicated her to the service of God when she was three years old. (We will celebrate this on November 21st, the Memorial of the Presentation of Mary.) In the temple, she joined other girls in prayer, reading the scriptures, and assisting the temple priests. Because Mary’s holiness was very evident and her desire to serve so pure, the priest in charge of her believed that God had great plans for her.

God has great plans for all of us — yes, even you! Because Jesus ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to earth, God now chooses to minister to the world through you and through all followers of Christ, first in our homes, then extending his love into our parishes and work-places and play-places.

Today’s Gospel reading reminds us how very important it is to use, to the best of our ability for the benefit of his kingdom, every gift that God has given to us, every talent he created us to have, every bit of time we’ve got and every breath that we breathe, our financial resources, and every unique facet of our personalities. Are we truly offering all of our selves to Christ for the glory of God? What we don’t use for God’s purposes, we eventually lose — maybe in the near future, but definitely when we die.

Ministry is nothing more and nothing less than putting to good use whatever we have gained from experiences, training, hardships, and blessings of the Lord. This means that we’re doing ministry whenever we benefit others in any way.

We should never separate the activities of daily life from ministry. Even scrubbing the kitchen floor when offered to God as a gift for those who will walk on that floor, is a ministry. Oh, except when it’s an excuse to avoid a more important mission. When we do “good” while hiding other talents that could be used for a greater good, we’re no better than the wicked servant who stored the gold coin in a handkerchief.

God has invested in you. Now it’s your turn. Invest what he’s given to you, not with mediocrity but with full effort in a spirit of success. Watch how he multiplies the investment into great profit, great goodness, and great healing.

Where you’ve failed in the past to invest what God’s given to you, look again at Jesus and see the hand that will gladly share from his abundance. He will give you another opportunity to use your gifts. And for the good you’ve already been doing, God is saying: “Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this small matter, so now I am going to do even more good through you.”

To increase the success of your usefulness to the Lord, see these two WordBytes:
wordbytes.gnm.org/discernment-what-is-Gods-will/
and
wordbytes.gnm.org/discernment-what-keeps-us-from-knowing-Gods-will/

Or download a collection of my reflections on this, in the e-book “Knowing God’s Will and Doing it Well”, published by Catholic Digital Resources:
catholicdr.com/ebooks/GodsWill.htm

Today’s Prayer:

Lord: May fear and selfishness neither control me nor stop me from being a witness of Your love and a good servant for my brothers and sisters. Amen.

Tags: Good News Reflection, Holy Gospel according to Luke., Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time, Virgin and Martyr