Vol. 38   No. 59                NOVEMBER  13, 2011                (Cycle - A)   XXXIII  SUNDAY  OF  THE  YEAR   You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much   ENTRANCE ANTIPHON The Lord says: my plans for you are peace and not disaster; when you call to me, I will listen to you and I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you. (Jer 29:11,12,14) PENITENTIAL RITE A talent was a unit of money at the time of Jesus, but today it stands for the gifts and resources that a person is endowed with. Not everyone is equally gifted but no person is born without enough resources, to work with. The parable of the talents is a striking example of those who use their resources and those who do not. The servant, who hid his talent, for fear of the master, is severely reprimanded and punished whereas the servants who traded with them and multiplied them are praised. Are we resourceful as the first two servants who multiplied the master’s money and were commended or like the lazy servant who did nothing and was condemned?  (Pause) I confess… Glory to God… OPENING PRAYER Father of all that is good, keep us faithful in serving you, for to serve you is our lasting joy. We ask this… FIRST READING (The author states that a good wife is of inestimable worth; her husband relies on her and derives good from her. She has worth which transcends physical attractiveness and deserves credit for her accomplishments.) A reading from the Book of Proverbs   (31:10-13,19-20,30-31) A good wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.   This is the Word of the Lord PSALM   (127) Response: O blessed are those who fear the Lord! O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways! By the labour of your hands you shall eat. You will be happy and prosper. Your wife like a fruitful vine in the heart of your house; your children like shoots of the olive, around your table. Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion in a happy Jerusalem all the days of your life. SECOND READING (As the Thessalonians have asked for answers, regarding the state of those who have died, Paul wishes to be specific, drawing on the salvific value of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Christians may grieve for their dead, but they are not like others who have no hope.) A reading from the First Letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians   (5:1-6) As to the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When people say, “There is peace and security.” Then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape. But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. This is the Word of the Lord ACCLAMATION Alleluia, alleluia! Watch at all times, praying that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of man. Alleluia! (Lk 21:36) GOSPEL (Gifts received from God, according to each one’s ability, should be used with creativity and not wasted away due to inaction.) A reading from the holy Gospel according to St Matthew  (25:14-30) Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples, “The kingdom of heaven will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more’. His master said to him ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master’. And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth’.” This is the Gospel of the Lord I believe in God,/the Father Almighty,/ Creator of heaven and earth./ I believe in Jesus Christ,/his only Son, our Lord./ He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit/ and born of the Virgin Mary./He suffered under Pontius Pilate,/was crucified, died, and was buried./He descended to the dead./On the third day he rose again./He ascended into Heaven,/and is seated at the right hand of the Father./He will come again to judge the living and the dead./I believe in the Holy Spirit,/the Holy Catholic Church,/the communion of saints,/the forgiveness of sins,/the resurrection of the body,/and the life everlasting./ Amen. PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL Cel: God has given each of us special gifts and talents. Let us pray that all those who use digital communication technologies, may use them wisely and responsibly for the welfare of humanity, saying: Response: Lord, hear our prayer. 1. For the pastors and leaders of the Church: that they may become effective communicators of Christ and his Gospel by making use of the digital technology. 2. For all leaders and those in authority: that they may give their subordinates the opportunities to develop their talents and use them to enhance the dignity of the human person. 3. For all those who are slaves of complexes: that they may be freed of all their inhibitions, blocks, negative elements and inner wounds by Christ; may the Blood of Christ heal them. 4. For parents, teachers and all those who care for children and youth: that they may help them to develop and use their talents for the benefit of society and the nation. 5. For those engaged in mass media: that they may transmit and communicate truthfully, fairly and responsibly, justice, peace and harmony among all people. (Pray for local and personal needs) Cel: Loving Father, we praise and thank you for all your gifts bestowed on us, especially the gift of digital communication technology. Grant us the wisdom to use it for the salvation of humanity and for your glory. We ask this… PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS Lord God, may the gifts we offer increase our love for you and bring us to eternal life. We ask this… PREFACE   (P 30) Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. Out of love for sinful man, he humbled himself to be born of the Virgin. By suffering on the cross he freed us from unending death, and by rising from the dead he gave us eternal life. And so, with all the choirs of angels in heaven we proclaim your glory and join in their unending hymn of praise: All: Holy, holy, holy… COMMUNION ANTIPHON It is good for me to be with the Lord and to put my hope in him. (Ps 72:28) PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Father, may we grow in love by the Eucharist we have celebrated in memory of the Lord Jesus, who is Lord for ever and ever.   LITURGY  AND  LIFE A talent was a large sum of money, the equivalent of six thousand denarii or the equivalent of the wages of a day labourer for fifteen years. One denarius was the wage of a common daily labourer. The master, going on a journey, entrusts different amounts to his three servants. The first two double what they had received but the third only hides his talent to keep it safe for the master’s return. All the three had sufficient time to make good use of the resources entrusted to them. The first two servants, even though they had been given different amounts according to their abilities, received equal commendation and are given greater responsibility and honour. Both enter into the loving presence of their Lord. The third servant, excuses his lack of action by complaining that the master expects too much. The reason for his inactivity was fear. To justify his inaction he accuses the king of being a very severe man and describes him as a tyrant who takes for himself things belonging to others and giving this excuse does nothing. The master responds with the explanation, that the simple act of investing the talent with the bankers, would have earned interest. The first two servants prove resourceful and double their amounts while the third turns out to be irresponsible and buries his talent for safekeeping for fear of his demanding master. The fault of the third servant was, that he did not recognize his master’s intention, and opted for safety instead of service. Hoping to avoid doing anything wrong, he finished up by not doing anything right. What lessons can be learned from this parable, that have a bearing on our lives? There are people, who find excuses for their laziness by saying that “God is very good and kind” and will surely save us, no matter what we do. This is a wrong attitude. We need to be open to God and always be at His service, with all the means at our disposal and with all our strength. Then God will reward us and welcome us into His Kingdom. God wants to give us the fullness of blessing; but to enable Him to do this, He commands us to make a modest effort and not to give in to laziness, like the third servant. Our contribution is absolutely inadequate, when compared to the recompense promised, but it is absolutely indispensable. Thus the parable of the talents, exhorts the community to be ready and alert for the return of the Lord. This parable seems to add a further nuance of actively and imaginatively engaging in one’s responsibilities, in an attitude of vigilant expectation. The faithful disciple and the community live active lives, following the commands of Jesus, as they await the final coming of the Son of Man and the end of the world. If we mistakenly view God as a hard taskmaster, it will be hard for us to respond to him in a loving and open way. We are to use his gifts responsibly, but also innovatively. That is the way to be ready for ‘the parousia’ the second coming of Jesus Christ. —Fr Augustine Kanachikuzhy, ssp       November 2011             READINGS  OF  THE  WEEK               Psalter Week 1 14 Mon (G) 2 Mac 1:10-15.41-43.54-57.62-63/ Ps 119:53.61.134.150.155.158/ Lk 18:35-43 15 Tue (W) St Albert the Great, 2 Mac 6:18-31/ Ps 3:2-3.4-5.6-7/ Lk 19:1-10 16 Wed (W) Sts Margaret of Scotland/ Gertrude, 2 Mac 7:1.20-31/ Ps 17:1bcd.5-6. 8b & 15/ Lk 19:11-28 17 Thu (W) St Elizabeth of Hungary, 1 Mac 2:15-29/ Ps 50:1b-2 5-6 14-15/ Lk 19:41-44 18 Fri (W) Dedication of the Churches of Sts Peter and Paul, 1 Mc 4:36-37.52-59/ 1 Chr 29: 10bcd.11abc.11d-12a.12bcd/ Lk 19:45-48 19 Sat (G) 1 Mac 6:1-13/ Ps 9:2-3.4 & 6.16 & 19/ Lk 20:27-40