First Reading (1 Cor 1:26-31).
Reading of the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.
Brothers, consider yourselves as to what God has called you. Not many of you were wise in human wisdom, not many were powerful, not many were noble. For God chose what the world considers foolish to shame the wise; God chose what the world considers weak to shame the strong; God chose what the world despises and despises, what is of no use, to expose the worthlessness of what is important, so that no one might boast before him. It is through him that you are in Christ Jesus, who from God has become for us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and liberation, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
– The word of the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
Gospel (Matthew 25:14-30).
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew.
— Glory to you, O Lord.
At that time Jesus told his disciples this parable: “A man was going on a trip. He called his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to a third one; to each according to his ability. Then he went on his way. The servant who had received five talents went out at once and worked with them, and made five more. In the same way, the one who had received two made two more. But the one who had received one went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master came and settled accounts with his servants. The servant who had received five talents brought him five more, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted me with five talents. Here are five more that I have made.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! Since you have been faithful in handling so little, I will put you in charge of many more. Come and share in my joy.'” Then the one who had received two talents came and said, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents. Here are two more that I have gained.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! Since you have been faithful in managing so little, I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my joy.’ Finally the one who had received one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew you are a hard man, for you reap where you did not sow and gather where you did not scatter seed. So I was afraid and hid your talent in the ground. Here is what belongs to you.’ His master answered him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! Did you know that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter seed? Then you should have put my money in the bank, so that when I came back I would have received what is mine with interest.’ Then the master said to him, ‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. As for this worthless servant, throw him outside, into the darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!'”
— The Word of the Savior.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Imagine a scene: a brightly lit stage, filled with seemingly ordinary people—a fisherman, a tax collector, a housewife, a carpenter. Nothing special at first glance. But suddenly, a brilliant light falls upon them, and their faces begin to radiate an astonishing beauty and strength. This image captures the essence of the message that St. Paul brings to us in our first reading today, and which Jesus powerfully elaborates in His parable of the talents.
Paul, writing to the Corinthians, tells us, “Consider, my brothers, those of you who have been called by God. Not many of you were wise in human wisdom, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.” What an astonishing statement! Paul is essentially saying, “Look at yourselves. You are not the cream of the crop. You are not the smartest, the richest, the most influential.”
But why is Paul saying this? Is he trying to belittle the Corinthians? Absolutely not! He is setting the stage for a revolutionary truth: “But God chose the foolishness of the world to shame the wise, and the weakness of the world to shame the strong.”
What a wonderful reversal! God, in His infinite wisdom, chooses what the world considers weak, foolish, insignificant, and transforms it into an instrument of His glory. He takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary. He takes the common and makes it sacred.
Think for a moment: Who were Jesus’ apostles? Fishermen, tax collectors, ordinary people. They were not religious leaders, they were not scholars, they were not the elite of society. And yet, it was these ordinary men that God used to turn the world upside down with the message of the gospel.
Why? Paul gives us the answer: “so that no one may boast before God.” God chooses the weak to display His strength. He chooses the foolish to display His wisdom. He does this so that it is clear that the power comes from Him, not from us.
This truth is incredibly liberating! It means that we do not have to be perfect for God to use us. We do not have to have all the talents in the world, all the wisdom, all the power. All we need is to be willing to put ourselves in God’s hands and allow Him to work through us.
And this is where the parable of the talents in our Gospel today connects so beautifully with Paul’s message. Jesus tells us the story of a man who, when he sets out on a journey, entrusts his possessions to three servants. To one he gives five talents, to another two, and to another one.
Notice that the master does not give the same amount to each servant. He gives “to each according to his ability.” This reminds us that God knows our abilities, our limitations, our strengths and weaknesses. He does not expect us all to be the same or to all accomplish the same things. What He does expect is for us to be faithful with what has been entrusted to us.
The first two servants, those who were given five and two talents, immediately put their talents to work and doubled them. But the third servant, the one who was given one talent, buries it in the ground.
When the master returns, he commends the first two servants: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in the joy of your master!” What wonderful words! Isn’t that what we all long to hear from God at the end of our lives?
But the third servant is rebuked. Not because he had fewer talents, but because he did nothing with what was entrusted to him. He let fear paralyze him: “Master, I knew you were a hard man… So I was afraid and hid your talent in the ground.”
How often do we act like this third servant? How often do we let fear paralyze us? Fear of failure, fear of not being good enough, fear of being judged by others. And so we bury our talents, hide our abilities, refuse to take risks for fear of losing.
But Jesus’ message is clear: God does not call us to be successful according to the world’s standards. He calls us to be faithful. He does not expect all of us to accomplish great things that will be recorded in the history books. He expects us to do the best with what we have been given, whether it is much or little.
Remember Paul’s words: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” Our glory is not in our own talents or accomplishments, but in what God can do through us when we place our lives in His hands.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, I challenge you today: dig up your talents! It doesn’t matter if you think you have much or little to offer. It doesn’t matter if the world considers you wise or foolish, strong or weak. What matters is that you have been chosen by God. You have been called by Him. You have a unique purpose in God’s plan.
Maybe your talent is a warm smile that can brighten someone’s day. Maybe it’s the ability to listen with compassion. Maybe it’s a gift to teach, to heal, to create. Whatever your talent, no matter how small it may seem, use it for the glory of God and the good of others.
Don’t let fear paralyze you. Don’t compare yourself to others. Remember: God doesn’t judge us by the amount of talents we have, but by how faithfully we use them.
Imagine what would happen if each of us decided today to fully use the talents God has given us. Imagine the impact we would have on our families, our communities, our world. We would truly be the salt of the earth and the light of the world that Jesus calls us to be.
And at the end of our lives, when we stand before the Lord, may we hear those wonderful words: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come share in your master’s joy!”
May God’s grace strengthen us, His love inspire us, and His Spirit guide us as we seek to live faithfully, using our talents for His glory. Amen.
