GOSPEL

 
“Since you were faithful in small matter, come, share your master’s joy.”
From the Gospel according to 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 groundand buried his master’s money.After a long timethe master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.The one who had received five talentscame 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 plantand 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 plantand gather where I did not scatter?Should you not then have put my money in the bankso that I could have got it back with interest on my return?Now 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.’
The Gospel of the Lord

Putting It into Practice

God distributes gifts to one and another according to His will. They are usually different so that we can complement each other. But what do I do with the gifts I’ve received? I might demand to my spouse to have the same ones I do. I might decide that if he or she doesn’t respond the way I want (because he or she doesn’t have those gifts), I won’t use mine to serve either, as a form of retaliation. And when the Lord asks me what I did with the gifts He gave me, what will I say? That my husband didn’t respond the way I would have liked him to?

If God has given me a gift, I have to put it fully into play, for the greater glory of God.

Applied to married life:

Peter: And if my wife doesn’t respond to faith at the same pace as I do, what should I do? If she doesn’t want to give herself like Christ, I’m not going to be the fool giving my life for her.

Elizabeth: You have to ask yourself what God wants from that situation He’s allowing, but what is certain is that He doesn’t want you to fail to respond to what He’s asking of you. Remember, Peter, your vocation is a call from God, and it is to Him that you respond. He has given you everything. A humble heart, God does not despise. You’ll see.

Peter: Thank you. I see that in this, I have a mission entrusted by God. Glory to Him.
(Peter gave himself without expecting his wife’s response, and God worked in her… and in him, a good and faithful servant.)

Mother,

How many times would you have seen that St. Joseph was not immaculate, and yet you were. And still, you treated him as an equal and submitted to him and his decisions because you knew that God had assigned him the gift of guarding you and your Son. What a beautiful way to respond to Love with a capital “L.” Blessed Mother.