Daily Readings Reflection for 8/29/09

Reflection on the Daily Readings for 8/30/09 by Fr. Bertrand Buby, SM

Scripture for Sat. of 21st week (8/29/09). Lectionary # 430: I
Thessalonians 4:9-12. Psalm 98:1.7-8.9. Matthew 25:14-30.

One contemporary rabbi in commenting on the fact of the Bible that we are
created in the image and likeness of God makes a distinction between the
two terms. The words are different and do not mean the same thing in
Hebrew. He says that being created in the image of God is pure gift from
God that gives us our human life. The likeness is what we do with the gifts
or talents that come to us as we grow in age and wisdom. This helps us to
understand today's parable from Jesus who is telling us that people who are
entrusted with gifts must use them to the best of their ability. We are
not to hide them and then expect to be fully the persons God wishes us to
be. This is a good parable to challenge us to live out the precepts of the
Torah and to do the beatitudes and the spiritual and corporal works of
mercy. We all have some capacity to do this. Not everyone has the same
amount or the same kind of talents, but we all have our lives and what
comes with them.

We are called to be servants of all creation and stewards of what creation
brings to us. Laziness, boredom, negative thinking, sarcasm prevent us
from being creative agents of God gifts to us. The likeness is important
if we are to reach full integration in our lives both in the natural and
the spiritual dimensions. Paul, too, is encouraging us in a different way
than parable language. He uses the encouragement and exhortation to spur us
on in our life of nature and grace: "Yet, we exhort you to even greater
progress, brothers and sisters." St. Irenaeus tells us that the glory of
God consists in our being fully alive to what God has given us in creation
and in our talents. This means that we are to do all we can to reach our
potential (to be all we are called to be) by living out the virtues and the
commandments realizing that God is working among us through God's inspired
words which are always alive and active among us. Amen.