Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 157
It-Tlieta u Tletin Ħadd taż-Żmien ta’ Matul is-Sena
Reading 1 PROVERBS 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She obtains wool and flax and works with loving hands. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her a reward for her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.
Qari I Għeluq tal-Ktieb tal-Proverbi 31, 10-13.19-20.30-31
Mara ta’ ħila min isibha? Tiswa ħafna aktar mill-ġawhar. Fuqha tistrieħ qalb żewġha, u dan żgur ikunlu ta’ ġid. Riżq tajjeb iġġiblu, u mhux ħażin, il-jiem kollha ta’ ħajjitha. Tfittex suf u ħjut tal-qoton, u taħdmu bil-qalb b’idejha. Tmidd idejha għall-magħżel, jaqbdu d-dussies idejha. Tiftaħ mal-fqir idejha, tmidd idejha lejn l-imsejken. Qarrieqa l-ħlewwa tal-mara, fiergħa sbuħitha; mara li tibża’ mill-Mulej ta’ min ifaħħarha. Agħtuha mill-frott ta’ xogħol idejha. Ħa jfaħħruha f’bibien il-belt l-għemejjel tagħha. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Salm Responsorjali Salm 127 (128), 1-2.3.4-5
R/. (1a): Hieni kull min jibża’ mill-Mulej
Hieni kull min jibża’ mill-Mulej,
kull min jimxi fit-triqat tiegħu!
Mix-xogħol ta’ idejk inti tiekol;
hieni int, u riżqek tajjeb! R/.
Martek tkun bħal dielja għammiela
fl-irkejjen ta’ darek;
uliedek bħal xitel taż-żebbuġ
madwar il-mejda tiegħek. R/.
Ara, kif ikun imbierek il-bniedem
li jibża’ mill-Mulej!
Ibierkek il-Mulej minn Sijon!
Jalla tara l-ġid ta’ Ġerusalemm
tul ħajtek kollha!
Jalla tara wlied uliedek! R/.
Reading 2 1 THESSALONIANS 5:1-6
Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night. When people are saying, "Peace and security," then sudden disaster comes upon them, like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief. For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.
Qari II mill-Ewwel Ittra lit-Tessalonkin 5, 1-6
Dwar il-ħin u ż-żmien, ħuti, ma għandix bżonn niktbilkom. Intom tafu sewwa li Jum il-Mulej jiġi għal għarrieda bħal ħalliel bil-lejl. Meta kulħadd jibda jgħid: “Sliem u mistrieħ”, dak il-ħin stess, bħal-luġigħ fuq mara li tkun waslet għall-ħlas, tiġi fuqhom għal għarrieda l-qerda u ma jeħilsu b’xejn. Ħuti, intom m’intomx fid-dlam biex Jum il-Mulej jeħodkom għal għarrieda bħal ħalliel. Intom ilkoll ulied id-dawl u wlied il-jum; aħna m’aħniex ulied il-lejl, anqas ulied id-dlam. Għalhekk ma għandniex norqdu bħall-oħrajn, iżda nishru u ngħixu bil-qjies. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Gospel MATTHEW 25:14-30
Jesus told his disciples this parable: "A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one-- to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. "After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.’ Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.'His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.’ Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.'His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? ow then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"
Evanġelju Qari skond San Mattew 25, 14-30
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu din il-parabbola: “Wieħed li kien se jsiefer, sejjaħ lill-qaddejja tiegħu u ħallielhom ġidu f’idejhom. Lil wieħed tah ħames talenti, lil ieħor tnejn, u lil ieħor wieħed, kull wieħed skond il-ħila tiegħu. U siefer. Dak li kien ħa l-ħames talenti mar minnufih iħaddimhom u qala’ ħamsa oħra. Hekk ukoll dak li kien ħa tnejn qala’ tnejn oħra. Iżda dak li ħa wieħed mar ħaffer fl-art u ħeba flus sidu. Wara ħafna, sid dawk il-qaddejja raġa’ lura u beda jagħmel il-kontijiet magħhom. Resaq quddiemu dak li kien ħa ħames talenti u ġieblu ħames talenti oħra. “Sinjur – qallu – ħames talenti ħallejtli f’idejja; hawn, ara, qlajt ħamsa oħra”. Qallu s-sinjur: “Sewwa, qaddej tajjeb u fidil; int kont fidil fil-ftit, u jien se nafdak fuq ħafna; idħol fl-hena ta’ sidek”. Resaq ukoll dak li kien ħa żewġ talenti, u qallu: “Sinjur, żewġ talenti ħallejtli f’idejja; hawn, ara, qlajt tnejn oħra”. Qallu s-sinjur: “Sewwa, qaddej tajjeb u fidil; int kont fidil fil-ftit, u jien se nafdak fuq ħafna; idħol fl-hena ta’ sidek”. Iżda resaq ukoll dak li kien ħa talent wieħed, u qal: “Sinjur, lilek nafek bħala raġel aħrax, taħsad fejn ma żrajtx u tiġbor fejn ma xerridtx. Bżajt, u mort ħbejt it-talent tiegħek fl-art: hawn, ara, għandek dak li hu tiegħek”. Qabeż is-sinjur u qallu: “Qaddej ħażin u għażżien, kont taf li jien naħsad fejn ma żrajtx u niġbor fejn ma xerridtx. Mela kien imissek mort qegħedt flusi l-bank biex, meta niġi, kont immur niġborhom bl-imgħax. Ħudulu mela t-talent u agħtuh lil dak li għandu l-għaxar talenti. Għax kull min għandu, jingħatalu, u jkollu żżejjed ukoll; iżda min ma għandux, jitteħidlu saħansitra dak li għandu. U lil dan il-qaddej bla fejda itfgħuh ’il barra fid-dlam; hemmhekk ikun hekk il-biki u t-tgħażżiż tas-snien””. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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Faith, the Sacraments, and the Woman
Gospel Commentary by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFMCap, Pontifical Household Preacher and Cardinal-elect.
This Sunday's Gospel is the parable of the talents. Unfortunately, in the past the meaning of this parable has been habitually distorted, or at least very much reduced.
Hearing talk of talents we immediately think of natural gifts of intelligence, beauty, strength, artistic abilities. The metaphor is used to speak about actors, singers, comedians, etc. The usage is not completely mistaken, but it is secondary. Jesus did not intend to speak of the obligation of developing one's natural gifts, but of developing the gifts given by him. On the contrary, sometimes it is necessary to curb this tendency to focus on one's own talents because this can easily become careerism, a mania of imposing oneself on others.
The talents that Jesus is speaking about are the Word of God and faith: in a word, the kingdom proclaimed by him. In this sense the parable of the talents stands alongside that of the sower. The different outcomes of the talents given correspond to the different fates of the seeds cast on the ground by the sower -- some produce 60%, some are buried beneath thorns or eaten by birds.
Today faith and the sacraments are the talents that we Christians have received. The parable thus obliges us to examine our conscience: What use are we making of these talents? Are we either like the servant who made them bear fruit or like the one who buried them? I would compare it to a Christmas present that one has forgotten and left unopened in a corner.
The fruits of natural talents become irrelevant to us when we die or, at best, pass on to those who come after us; the fruits of spiritual talents follow us into eternal life and one day will gain us the approval of the divine Judge: "Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful in small things I will give you authority over greater things. Enter into the joy of your master."
Our human and Christian duty is not only to develop our own natural and spiritual talents, but also to help others develop theirs. In the contemporary world there are people whose job it is to be "talent scouts." They are people who can pick out hidden talents -- in painting, singing, acting, sports and so on. They help those with the talents to cultivate them and find them sponsors. They do not do this for free or for the love of art, but to get a percentage of the earnings of the talented people they discovered, once they succeed.
The Gospel invites us all to be talent scouts, not for the love of gain but to help those who are unable to begin developing their talents on their own. Humanity owes some of its geniuses and best artists to the altruism of the friends of these people, who believed in them and encouraged them when no one else did. One exemplary case that comes to mind is Theo Van Gogh, who supported his brother Vincent financially and morally his whole life, when no one believed in him and he was unable to sell any of his paintings. They exchanged more than 600 letters, documents of great humanity and spirituality. Without Theo Van Gogh, we would not have the many paintings of his brother that everyone loves and admires.
The first reading invites us to reflect on a particular talent that is both natural and spiritual: the talent of femininity, the talent of being a woman. This reading contains the famous praise of women that begins with the words: "A perfect woman, who can find her?" This praise, which is so beautiful, has one defect, which does not come from the inspiration but from the epoch in which it was written and the culture that it reflects. If we pay attention, we see that the praise has entirely to do with what the woman does for the man. Its implicit conclusion: Blessed is the man who has such a woman. She makes him nice clothes, brings honour to his house, allows him to hold his head high among his friends. I do not think women today would be enthusiastic about this laud.
Putting this limitation aside, I would like to underscore the relevance of this praise of women. Everywhere there is the demand to make more room for women, to value the feminine genius. We do not believe that "the eternal feminine will save us." Daily experience shows that women can lift themselves up, but also that they can let themselves down. They also need Christ's salvation. But it is certain that, once she is redeemed and "liberated" by him, on the human level, from ancient subjections, she can help to save our society from some inveterate evils that threaten it: violence, will to power, spiritual aridity, scorn for life, etc.
After so many ages that took their name from man -- from the ages of "homo erectus" and "homo faber," to the age of "homo sapiens" today, we might hope that there will finally come, for humanity, the age of woman: the age of the heart, of tenderness, of compassion. It was devotion to the Virgin that, in past centuries, inspired respect for women and their idealisation in literature and art. The woman of today, too, can look to her as a model, friend and ally in defending the dignity and the talent of being a woman. [Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]
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