33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS (Mt 25:14-30)

EXEGESIS

A man going on a journey....
The ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven.

...called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one....
Talent may be: (a) a measure of weight, (b) a coin worth 30 kg of precious metal, (c) 6,000 denarii, and (d) in this case, abilities given by God to each one of us.

After a long timethe master of those servants came back ....
Delay in the second coming of Jesus (pariousia)

...and settled accounts with them.
Last judgment

See, I have made five more.
Did he make converts for the church?

Come, share your master's joy.
The reward is an intimate association with the Lord. This is reserved for those who have used their talents for the Kingdom.

...so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.
This was a common practice in Palestine. Cf the Parable of the Buried Treasure

And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Hell is for those who have not used their talents for the kingdom.

REFLECTION

What are the talents or gifts do I have which I can offer at the service of the Kingdom? (I use Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences as framework.)

• Am I good with words (Linguistic intelligence or"word smart")?
• Am I good with numbers and with reasonning (Logical-mathematical intelligence or "number/reasoning smart")?
• Am I good in the creative use of space (Spatial intelligence or "picture smart")?
• Am I good in the use of my body (Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence or "body smart")?
• Am I good in music (Musical intelligence or "music smart")?
• Am I good at relating with others (Interpersonal intelligence or "people smart")?
• Am I good at getting in touch with my inner self (Intrapersonal intelligence or "self smart")?
• Do I flourish in the midst of nature (Naturalist intelligence or "nature smart")?

All of us have these intelligences. Although we may not possess any of them at the level of a genius, Howard Gardner affirms that with effort and with the guidance of a good teacher, we can develop them to a satisfactory level.

Consequently, no one can truthfully say that he is good for nothing and that he has nothing to offer for the kingdom and for his fellowmen.