On the 6th Sunday of Pentecost, the Maronite Church reflects on the parable of the talents in St Matthew's Gospel. This parable teaches us that we have to use the gifts we have been given for the greater glory of God.
For more on this Gospel and other events of our parish, please click on the link below:
Please click here to download the full Kadishat newsletter.
Dial Before You Dig Seminar
I would like to invite you to a Free Builders' Seminar and Dinner at St Charbel's Monastery on Tues 23 Oct from 4.15pm to 8pm.
Dial Before You Dig will be presenting about safe digging along with Jemena, Ausgrid and Telstra. Builders who attend receive 4 CPD points.
For more information, contact Elise on 9740 0919.
Your attendance will support St Charbel's Church financially. We hope you can attend.
Adult Christenings
This week, a number of adults from our parish are receiving the sacrament of Baptism after a year of preparation and catechesis. We keep them in our prayers as they are welcomed into the Catholic Church.
I wish you all a blessed week!
In God’s Love,
Fr. Dr. Antoine Tarabay
============================================================
20th Year—Number 1031 Sunday 21/10/2012
Season of the Cross
6th Sunday
Sunday’s Readings: Galatians 6: 1-10 & Matthew: 25: 14-30
Each in proportion to his ability
“'It is like a man about to go abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one, each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out on his journey.
The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
Now a long time afterwards ،the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. "Sir " he said, "you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made." His master said to him
"Well done ،good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master's happiness."
Next the man with the two talents came for-ward. "Sir " he said, "you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made." His master said to him "Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master's happiness."
Last came forward the man who had the single talent. "Sir "said he, "I had heard you were a hard man reaping where you had not sown and gathering where you had not scattered; so I was afraid ،and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours ،you have it back." But his master answered him "You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then you should have deposited my money with the bankers and on my return I would have got my money back with interest. So now take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the ten talents.For to everyone who has will be given more and he will have more than enough; but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has. As for this good-for-nothing servant ،throw him into the darkness outside where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."” Matthew: 25: 14-30”
Reflection of the Week
No gift is too small
This is the third parable from the Gospel of Mathew, after the faithful and the unfaithful servants (24:45-51), the ten virgins (25:1-13), and, now, the talents (25:14-30). All three of these parables have common features. In all three a powerful figure goes away for a time. In his absence, people act in two contrasting ways. When he returns, he responds positively to the ones who did well and he judges those who did not.
This is the third parable from the Gospel of Mathew, after the faithful and the unfaithful servants (24:45-51), the ten virgins (25:1-13), and, now, the talents (25:14-30). All three of these parables have common features. In all three a powerful figure goes away for a time. In his absence, people act in two contrasting ways. When he returns, he responds positively to the ones who did well and he judges those who did not.
In the parable of the talents, Jesus reveals an awesome truth: The saved are the workers and the workers are the saved. “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26).
The parable speaks first of the Master's trust in his servants. Second, while he goes away he trusted them with talents. Third, the servants were given responsi-bility according to their ability. Finally, the master rewards those who are productive and faithful and he punishes those who sit by idly and who do nothing to in-crease what they were given.
We are called to be people of faith
This parable shows the element of risk that is endemic to the call of God. God always asks us to step out of our comfort-zone and act out of faith, not fear.
It’s what God expected of Noah when he told him to build an ark and collect animals. It’s what God expected of Abraham when he told him to leave his home. It’s what God expected of Moses at the burning bush. It’s what God expected of Mary when he sent the Angel Gabriel. It’s what God expected of Paul after knocking him off his horse.
Had any of those figures acted out of their fear (What will happen? Will we be safe? Will we have enough money? Will people still like me? Can I accomplish this?) And the difference between the two slaves who invested what the “Master” gave them, and the slave who dug a hole and buried what the “Master” gave him – is a willingness to have faith.
One talent
The third servant was given one talent. A talent of silver was a huge amount of wealth. But what did the servant do with it? The result was a self-focus and selfishness which resulted in the extinguishing and burying of his faith – which means no action; no reflection of God’s grace.
The third servant was given one talent. A talent of silver was a huge amount of wealth. But what did the servant do with it? The result was a self-focus and selfishness which resulted in the extinguishing and burying of his faith – which means no action; no reflection of God’s grace.
There is an important lesson here for us. No one can stand still for long in the Christian life. We either get more or we lose what we have. We either advance towards God or we slip back.
Do you earnestly seek to serve God with the gifts, talents, and graces he has given to you?
Gospel’s message
Today’s message challenges us as Christians to help one another, espe-cially the young people, to identify their gifts, develop them, and use them for the glory of God. The kingdom of God does not entertain satisfaction, laziness, or inactivity. For those of us who are always ‘doing nothing’ to-day’s Gospel challenges us to start ‘doing something’.
Today’s message challenges us as Christians to help one another, espe-cially the young people, to identify their gifts, develop them, and use them for the glory of God. The kingdom of God does not entertain satisfaction, laziness, or inactivity. For those of us who are always ‘doing nothing’ to-day’s Gospel challenges us to start ‘doing something’.
Invest your spiritual gifts
The spiritual gifts of love, forgiveness, faith, hope, trust, compassion and active care need to be invested and used in the service of others. And those who take the risk of investing those gifts do receive in abundance. More will be given to them. But for those who have not risked the invest-ment of those gifts but have buried them in the ground, even the gifts they have will be lost.
The spiritual gifts of love, forgiveness, faith, hope, trust, compassion and active care need to be invested and used in the service of others. And those who take the risk of investing those gifts do receive in abundance. More will be given to them. But for those who have not risked the invest-ment of those gifts but have buried them in the ground, even the gifts they have will be lost.
============================================================
Some ideas from the Gospel
>Be ready, when the Lord comes after a long and unexpected delay and give and account of your stewardship.
>Not all are expected to produce the same results, but all are expected to be equally faithful to the gifts God entrusted to them.
> We are called to have the courage to step out in faith and take hold of the opportunities and challenges that we have.
>No gift is too small to use for God and humanity. In fact the more we sue our talents the more they develop. Do not be afraid of using your talent.
> When we put our God-given talents to His use, He will aid us, and we will get returns on them beyond what we would ever imagine.
> Lord has entrusted lots of things to us: money, natural talents, spiritual gifts, and the truth of the Gospel. He expects us not just to conserve them but to grow them.
> When we put our God-given talents to His use, He will aid us, and we will get returns on them beyond what we would ever imagine.
> Lord has entrusted lots of things to us: money, natural talents, spiritual gifts, and the truth of the Gospel. He expects us not just to conserve them but to grow them.
============================================================
Saint of the Week
Demetrius, Martyr (+303)
Maronite Feast Day: October 26
Saint Demetrius was a Christian martyr who lived in the 4th century in Thessalonkiki. His father, a proconsul, secretly embraced the Christian faith, and also raised his son in the faith in God. Early legends about Demetrius credit him with a military career in the Roman Army. Therefore, he is sometimes also called a military martyr, and depicted wearing armor. Victory in several battles have been accredited to his intervention.
Saint Demetrius's relics are found in his dedicated church in Thessaloniki, Greece. On the left there is a fresco of Saint Demetrius.
============================================================
POST SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI
TO THE PATRIARCHS, BISHOPS, CLERGY, CONSECRATED PERSONS AND THE LAY FAITHFUL ON THE CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE EAST:
COMMUNION AND WITNESS
“My apostolic visit to Lebanon, and by extension to the Middle East as a whole,
is placed under the sign of peace”
Under the banner of peace, Pope Benedict XVI visited Lebanon on the 14th July 2012 to deliver the Apostolic Exhortation to the Christians in the Middle East. “The Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Ecclesia in Medio Oriente" is the document elaborated by Benedict XVI based on the 44 final Propositions of the special Synod for the Middle East, which was held in Vatican City from October 10th to 26th 2010 on the theme”. Kadishat will start, from this issue, publishing an English translation of the Apostolic Exhortation aiming to make it available to the maximum number of our parishioners.
INTRODUCTION
1. The Church in the Middle East, which from the dawn of Christian faith has made her pilgrim way in those holy lands, today courageously continues her witness, the fruit of a life of communion with God and neighbour. Communion and Witness! This was the conviction which occasioned the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East, which gathered around the Successor of Peter from 10 to 24 October 2010 to discuss the theme, “The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness. ‘Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and one soul’” (Acts 4:32).
3. In the context of the Christian faith, “communion is the very life of God which is communicated in the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ”.*1+ It is a gift of God which brings our freedom into play and calls for our response. It is precisely because it is divine in origin that communion has a universal extension. While it clearly engages Christians by virtue of their shared apostolic faith, it remains no less open to our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters, and to all those ordered in various ways to the People of God. The Catholic Church in the Middle East is aware that she will not be able fully to manifest this communion at the ecumenical and interreligious level unless she has first revived it in herself, within each of her Churches and among all her members: Patriarchs, Bishops, priests, religious, consecrated persons and lay persons. Growth by individuals in the life of faith and spiritual renewal within the Catholic Church will lead to the fullness of the life of grace and theosis (divinization).*2+ In this way, the Church’s witness will become all the more convincing.
4. The example of the first community in Jerusalem can serve as a model for renewing the present Christian community and making it a place of communion for witness. The Acts of the Apostles give us a simple yet touching early description of this community born on the day of Pentecost: a company of believers who were of one heart and soul. From the beginning there was a fundamental connection between faith in Jesus and ecclesial communion, as becomes clear from the two interchangeable expressions: one heart and soul. Communion is not the result of our own human efforts. It comes about, above all else, by the power of the Holy Spirit, who creates in us the faith which works through love (cf. Gal 5:6).
5. According to Acts, the unity of believers was seen in the fact that “they devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers” (2:42). The unity of believers was thus nourished by the teaching of the Apostles (the proclamation of God’s word), to which they responded with unanimous faith, by fraternal communion (the service of charity), by the breaking of the bread (the Eucharist and the sacraments), and by prayer, both personal and communal. It was on these four pillars that communion and witness were based within the first community of believers. May the Church which has lived uninterruptedly in the Middle East from apostolic times to our own day find in the example of that community the resources needed to keep fresh the memory and the apostolic vitality of her origins!
6. All who took part in the Synod assembly had an experience of the unity which exists within the Catholic Church in a broad spectrum of geographical, religious, cultural and sociopolitical contexts. The common faith is practised and made admirably evident in the diversity of its theological, spiritual, liturgical and canonical expressions. Like my Predecessors in the See of Peter, I wish here to state once more my desire to ensure that “the rites of the Eastern Churches, as the patrimony of the whole Church of Christ in which shines forth the tradition coming down from the Apostles through the Fathers, and which, in its variety, affirms the divine unity of the Catholic faith, are observed and promoted conscientiously.”*3+ I likewise assure my Latin brothers and sisters of my affection and my concern for their needs and necessities, in accordance with the command-ment of charity which presides over all, and the norms of law.
Next Sunday: Part one: “We give thanks to God always for you all ….” (1 Th 1:2)
============================================================
Links:
Join us on facebook to get notified about the next post:
============================================================
