One Minute Reflection – 10 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – St Antoninus OP (1389-1459) – – Sirach 44:16-27; 45:3-20 – Matthew 25:14-23 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“To one He gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately …” – Matthew 25:15
REFLECTION – “One of the servants said: “Lord, Thou entrusted to me five talents” and another mentioned two. They acknowledge that they had received, from Him, the means to carry out their duties well; they give witness to their great gratitude and render their accounts to Him. What does the Master reply? “Well done, My good and faithful servant (for it is the property of kindness to notice one’s neighbour); you have been faithful in small matters, I will set you over great; enter into the joy of your Lord.” Thus Jesus refers to entire blessedness.
As for him who only received one talent, he went off and buried it. “This good for nothing servant, throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.” So you see, it is not just the thief, the miser, the wrongdoer, who will be punished at the end, it is also the person who fails to do good!… Indeed, what are those talents? They are the power each one holds, the authority one enjoys, the fortune one possesses, the teaching one is able to give and anything else of a similar kind. So let no-one come and say, I have nothing but one talent, I cannot do anything. For even with only one talent you can act in a praiseworthy manner!” – St John Chrysostom (347-407) Bishop of Constantinople, Father & Doctor of the Church (Sermons on St Matthew’s Gospel No 78:2-3)
PRAYER – O Lord, may the merits of Antoninus, Your Confessor and Bishop, help us and just as we praise You for the wonders You have wrought in him, so may we glory in Your mercy toward us. T hrough Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
AnaStpaul 