Sunday Homily 11-16-08, 33rd & Last Sunday, Ordinary Time
Readings: Proverbs 31, 10-31; Psalm 128; 1 Thessalonians 5, 1-6; Matthew 25, 14-30
Proverbs:
Date of Composition: ca. 300 B.C.
Content: a collection of moral & religious teachings which were mostly dealing with practical matters.
The Talented Person
Nineteen years ago today an event happened in the Jesuit order that still boggles my mind. The year was 1989. I had been back in the States about 3 years. Reagan was coming to the end of his 8 years as president.
There was a group of 6 Jesuits who lived in a Jesuit community connected to a university. Some of the men worked in the university, others worked in other activities in the area. The school went by the initials UCA, University of Central America. It was located in the city of San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador.
Times had been tough in El Salvador over the past 6-8 years. Some Maryknoll nuns & an Ursuline nun had been stopped one night on the road to the airport and killed.
On this night nineteen years ago the Jesuits had all gone to bed. Behind their community house was a house where the housekeeper & cook lived with her daughter. At some time in the middle of the night a special brigade of the military arrived at the door. They awoke everyone and herded them into an inner patio. They made them all, the six Jesuits and the housekeeper & her daughter, lie face down on the ground. Then they shot each one.
We celebrate today the nineteenth anniversary of their martyrdom.
My thoughts go to these people when I read the parable about the man going on a journey and giving various talents to his servants. I do not know how many times over the years I have read this and thought that I do not like this man. Why is he so hard on the poor man with only one talent? Why do the rich get richer? Being a parable, what is the symbolism? Is the man a metaphor or symbol of Yahweh? Three observation that help me.
1. First, we all have our talent. A talent in the days of Matthew was 34 kilos of gold, i.e., 70 pounds of gold. To grow into a complete person, physically, spiritually, and psychologically I got to use my talent. What keeps me from using it, like the man in the parable, is often fear. Despite the psalm's statement that "Blessed are those who fear the Lord," I would propose that more blessed and more spiritually healthy are those that love the Lord. No fear.
Even though on the surface of the parable this does not seem to be the message, I think it may. The insight comes to me from the Carmelite website.
2. This is the second point: the clue to the parable is that Jesus and especially Matthew is talking to and admonishing the Pharisees, not so much us. Remember the pharisees obsessively observed every law & dictate so that they could attain justification and superiority. Could it be that they had a fear based spirituality? They get chastised for hiding their talent. Yahweh from Matthew's perspective is irritated with them.
3. Thirdly, another clue to understanding the parable: image and attitude. The pharisees have the same image of Yahweh that the one talent man has. Demanding. Therefore, his attitude and the attitude of the pharisees is, 'don't risk, don't love, hide behind strict observance of the law.' This results in a sterile spirituality, it kills joy and spontaneity, and impoverishes life. This pathetic life is chastised in the parable.
Yes, the man symbolizes Yahweh. The three servants are the people, we the people. I grant, the master really does come across pretty harshly. Maybe this is more Matthew speaking his feelings. Who knows what contributed to the fear of the one talent man. I see this fear in people who have received a lot of negativity in their life, especially as children, being maybe abused or mistreated. My read is that a compassionate master & God would take this into consideration and be more accepting than Matthew's parable suggests.
When I read this parable about talents, I am reminded of my former Jesuit confreres. They used their talents, for others. They faced their fears. In fact, they had frequently been harassed by the government which did not like the Jesuits' criticism. They gave it all.
What is your talent & how are you using It?
Picture 1: Choir Wendy, Ray, & Celeste
Picture 2: Birthdays–Mary Ellen Munzell, Penny Morrow, Blake & Blair Reyes (19)
Picture 3: Beth Robinson presenting Christmas family project
AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-11-16.mp3