The parable of the talents. Fr. Raymond

COMMMENT:
Dear William,
Thank you for the response to the Email on the Parable of the Talents.
Your own inspiring quest of the trail on the third Talent set us on the trail.
The Homiletic prayer talk of Fr. Raymond by passes the supposed barriers.
And to crown your comments illuminate it more.
God bless
Fr. Doanld

 

St. Ninian Cave 31 Aug 2014

Fw: Fw: The parable of the talents. 
Homily of Father Raymond. 

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domdonald.org.uk 

On Saturday, 30 August 2014, 22:36, 

William ...> wrote:

Dear Fathers,

What a very fine homily Father Raymond! There lies the wonder of Grace, drawing out our responsiveness, to the fulfilment of God's investment in each and every one.

It doesn't lie in human 'measurement' (as I might, alas, have again misread... 'much given, much expected') but in the encouragement to fulfil the give of God's love, freely given - the Key words, the very title of your homily!

Oh I delight in, and will always remember, your 'coin of virtue' - the brass coin of humility, the silver coin of self sacrifice, 'all the way up to the gold coin of pure love' - what an investment in mankind!! 'All have the wealth of God's grace at their disposal' - such Talents beyond counting are truly 'priceless', 'available to the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich'.

As ALWAYS, your homily contains a challenge...."How do we reach into the purse of our souls to bring out that coin [of love]?" and even more challenging, "How do we offer it to buy God's grace for ourselves - and for others of course?" The Talent has changed from something invested to something we are to invest! And - perhaps - one must add, to be invested wisely, else we buy negative equity, that is the bitterness and the reproach of love's envy, possession, jealousy, etc? "the painful realities of life on this earth". Can the gold coin of love ever be without impurities until it is cast into the heavenly fire of God's love?...

So, as Christ 'goes on His journey' and entrusts His gifts to men, are we bold enough - and humble enough and faithful enough - to take up His challenge, and expand our desire or do we bury it in our own lack of faith and commitment?

In modern parlance, if He is 'talent spotting' will his choice include us and recommend us to others?

That has been a wonderful excursion, THANK YOU indeed. I am the wiser for it, and I hope... the richer.

With my love in Our Lord,

William

----Original message----
From :Fr. Raymond    
Date : 30/08/2014 - 18:33 (GMTDT)
To : william   
Subject : Fw: The parable of the talents 

ALL THAT’S BEST IS FREE

           “Come to the water all you who are thirsty; though you have no money, come!  Buy corn without money, and wine and milk at no cost!”

          This is one of the most beautiful and memorable sayings of Scripture.  This “gem” of a saying from the Prophet Isaiah is one of the most telling images we have of the workings of Grace.  Did even the words of Jesus ever surpass it in all the beautiful word pictures he gave us of God’s grace?

          This saying of Isaiah tells us that even the poorest of the poor have all the wealth of God’s grace at their disposal and simply for the asking.  Even in nature all the best things are free: love, friendship, family, the air we breathe, the sun and moon and the stars.  How much more are the priceless gifts of God’s grace.  Like Adam and Eve in Paradise, we need only reach out to take their fruits.

          However, it must be admitted that there is a certain price to be paid for God’s so-called “free gifts”.  But it is a price that has to be paid in a ‘coin’ which is as much available to the poorest of the poor as it is to the richest of the rich.  It is the ‘coin’ of virtue.  And the coin of virtue has many denominations;  from the brass coin of humility, to the silver coin of self sacrifice, and all the way up to the gold coin of pure love.  And each and every one of these coins can be found in the ‘money-bag of our own souls. And each and every one of us is free to spend it.  In this sense, everyone is a millionaire!

          But to consider now the most precious of these coins: the coin of love.  “Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ” as St Paul tells us in the second reading today.  That is Christ’s love for us.  But what about our love for Christ?  How do we reach into the purse of our souls to bring out that coin?  How do we offer it to buy God’s grace for ourselves – and for others of course?

          St Paul has a well known passage on love in his First Letter to the Corinthians.  But some of  the things he says about it are rather off-putting.  He says that love doesn’t envy, it doesn’t boast, it’s not rude, or easily angered; it doesn’t bear grudges etc.  Now if Heaven is to be a kingdom of love, is that what heaven is going to be like;  with everybody going around not envying, not boasting, not being angry, not bearing grudges etc.!?  A very negative kind of existence that!  But these things are not so much ‘love’ as the reaction of ‘love’ to the painful realities of life on this earth.  These are descriptions, not of the essence of love, but of how love copes with adversity.  But in heaven, of course, there will be no adversties.  How then can we define love simply and purely in itself , for what it is in its own essence?  If I would dare to attempt such a definition I would put it something like this “Love is the enjoyment of communion of life with another.”  “All I have and all I am is yours and I know that all you have and all you are is mine.  Come let us enjoy it together.”

This ‘definition’ can be applied to our life with God, whether on earth or in heaven.  And surely, to grasp it and to practice in can make even our life on earth a true beginning of heaven.  It is perhaps summed up in that other saying of St Paul: “Whether you eat or whether you drink do it all for the glory of God.”

          We could hardly begin each day better than with these words on our lips: “All I am and all that I have, Lord, is yours.  And I know that all you are and all that you have is mine.  Come let us live it and enjoy it together this day.”   

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Notes. 

The surfing on some high waves -. 

1. Joachim Jeremias, The Parables of Jesus, maybe  regarded as the definitive book on this subject. Matthew. p.58 ff.

2. Sacra Pagina, Gospel of Matthew, D. J. Harrington S.J., Interpretation p.352 ff.

3. Knox-Cox, The Gospel Story, Harmony Mt. 25; 14-30, Lk. 19:11-27