(Optional Memorial for Saint
Margaret of Scotland)
(Optional Memorial for Saint
Gertrude, Virgin)
 |
| “The Unfaithful Steward” by Jan Luyken from the Bowyer Bible, c.1810’s |
Reading 1: Revelation
4:1-11
I, John, had a vision of an
open door to heaven,
and I heard the trumpet-like
voice
that had spoken to me before,
saying,
“Come up here and I will show
you what must happen afterwards.”
At once I was caught up in
spirit.
A throne was there in heaven,
and on the throne sat one
whose appearance sparkled
like jasper and carnelian.
Around the throne was a halo
as brilliant as an emerald.
Surrounding the throne I saw
twenty-four other thrones
on which twenty-four elders
sat,
dressed in white garments and
with gold crowns on their heads.
From the throne came flashes
of lightning,
rumblings, and peals of
thunder.
Seven flaming torches burned
in front of the throne,
which are the seven spirits
of God.
In front of the throne was
something that resembled
a sea of glass like crystal.
In the center and around the
throne,
there were four living
creatures
covered with eyes in front
and in back.
The first creature resembled
a lion, the second was like a calf,
the third had a face like
that of a man,
and the fourth looked like an
eagle in flight.
The four living creatures,
each of them with six wings,
were covered with eyes inside
and out.
Day and night they do not
stop exclaiming:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord
God almighty,
who was, and who is, and who
is to come.”
Whenever the living creatures
give glory and honor and thanks
to the one who sits on the
throne, who lives forever and ever,
the twenty-four elders fall
down
before the one who sits on
the throne
and worship him, who lives
forever and ever.
They throw down their crowns
before the throne, exclaiming:
“Worthy are you, Lord our
God,
to receive glory and honor
and power,
for you created all things;
because of your will they
came to be and were created.”
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Commentary on Rv 4:1-11
This reading is the entire text of Chapter 4 of St. John’s Revelation. First we see the heavenly court in worship. The twenty-four elders would represent the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 Apostles. Much of what is described here is taken from the apocalyptic literature in the Old Testament, specifically Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:22-26), Tobit (Tobit 12:15), and Isaiah (Isaiah 6:2). The special effects, flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder are representations of God’s activity. The addition of the eyes to the four living creatures represents God’s omnipresent vision and concern for mankind. The principal focus of this chapter, in addition to providing imagery of the heavenly court, is to give a sense of God’s majesty and omnipotence.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (1b) Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise the LORD in his
sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament
of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty
deeds,
praise him for his sovereign
majesty.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise him with the blast of
the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and
harp,
Praise him with timbrel and
dance,
praise him with strings and
pipe.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
Praise him with sounding
cymbals,
praise him with clanging
cymbals.
Let everything that has
breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!
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Commentary on Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
Psalm 150
contains a litany of praise, first praising God for what he is. In the
strophes that follow, it offers praise with various media, instruments, dance,
and song. The refrain, “holy, holy, holy
Lord, mighty God,” has its roots in the ancient Hebrew in that there was no
word for “holier” or “holiest.” When that thought was to be expressed, the word
was repeated the appropriate number of times. The psalm serves a doxology for
the 5th book of Psalms. The sound of crashing cymbals in this case reminds us
of the rumblings and peals of thunder in Revelation, God’s work and presence on
earth.
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Gospel: Luke
19:11-28
While people were listening
to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a
parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there
immediately.
So he said,
“A nobleman went off to a
distant country
to obtain the kingship for
himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants
and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, ‘Engage in
trade with these until I return.’
His fellow citizens, however,
despised him
and sent a delegation after
him to announce,
‘We do not want this man to
be our king.’
But when he returned after
obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called,
to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained
by trading.
The first came forward and
said,
‘Sir, your gold coin has
earned ten additional ones.’
He replied, ‘Well done, good
servant!
You have been faithful in
this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.’
Then the second came and
reported,
‘Your gold coin, sir, has
earned five more.’
And to this servant too he
said,
‘You, take charge of five
cities.’
Then the other servant came
and said,
‘Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a
handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you,
because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not
lay down
and you harvest what you did
not plant.’
He said to him,
‘With your own words I shall
condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding
man,
taking up what I did not lay
down
and harvesting what I did not
plant;
why did you not put my money
in a bank?
Then on my return I would
have collected it with interest.’
And to those standing by he
said,
‘Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant
who has ten.’
But they said to him,
‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’
He replied, ‘I tell you,
to everyone who has, more
will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be
taken away.
Now as for those enemies of
mine who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them
before me.’”
After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey
up to Jerusalem
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Commentary on Lk 19:11-28
This selection from St. Luke’s
Gospel contains two interwoven parables. The first is the Parable of the
Talents (see also Matthew 25:14ff). The
gold coins represent the gifts God has given us. The king’s return is meant to
symbolize the Lord's final return in judgment. His reaction to each of the
servants indicates the Lord’s expectation that the gifts he gives us are
expected to be used, and used for his greater glory. We are not to hide them;
in doing so we lose them.
The second is the Parable of the
rejected King. This latter parable could have had historical significance
since, after the death of Herod the Great, his son Archelaus went to Rome to
receive the same authority. He was opposed by a delegation of Jews. Although he
was not given the title of King, he was given authority over Judea and Samaria.
This parallel used by St. Luke would have served to stop speculation about the
imminent parousia. A second possibility is that the Lord himself was predicting
that his impending entry to Jerusalem was not to be a glorious kingship, but
rather he would have to travel to a far distant place (heaven) to receive that
crown.
St. Luke’s version of the Parable
of the Talents serves to reinforce the idea that the faithful must be diligent
in building up the Kingdom of God through the use of what God has provided.
Failure to do so (presuming the imminent second coming and laying down one’s
vocation) would result in severe punishment.
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Reflection:
Today we look explicitly (and
inwardly) at our preparation for the coming of the Kingdom of God
What is instructive here is
the placement of the Parable of the Talents (Luke uses coins or “minahs,” it’s less expensive that way)
that focuses us on our own discernment, or what our gifts are and how we are
using them. It is good timing, as we approach the Advent season, to think about
what we have been given, especially in the United States of America. How
fortunate we are to have been given the freedom to worship our God (we hope), and
to apply the gifts we have been given to his greater glory.
It is an excellent time to
evaluate what God has given us. Not just the material things we have been able
to accumulate because of the industry or intelligence with which he endowed us,
but the application of that industry and intelligence. Have we done what we do
for the Lord’s glory or our own? Have we presented the successes we have had as
attributable to him, or to ourselves?
One element of the Gospel
today cannot be overlooked as we evaluate our gifts and their application. That
is, have we wrapped our coin of faith in a handkerchief because we were not
proud of it, or have we taken that coin and put it in play, to bring more to
God than he gave us to begin with? That is a hard question, but one the parable
begs us to ask ourselves.
Pax
[1]
The picture used today is “The Unfaithful Steward” by Jan Luyken from the
Bowyer Bible, c.1810’s
[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the
Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This
re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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