Be constant in deeds and words

 

Well done, good and faithful servant.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Saturday of 21st Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, September 2nd, 2023
Texts: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-11; Psalm 98:1,7-9; Matthew 25:14-30 

Today’s readings exhort us not to relent, to be constant in deeds and words. St. Paul says, “and indeed you do love all the brethren throughout Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, to do so more and more.” The people of Thessalonica were to love more and more. Jesus Christ also tells us about the two servants who gained more as they traded with their talents. We read, “He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more.” 

The servants traded with their talents because they were good and faithful. The master says, “Well done, good and faithful servant”. What does it mean to be good? It is to have a nature that is inclined to doing good. It is to have a good will, predisposition towards good. We should always be predisposed to do good, willing to do good always. What are good? St. Paul tells us in the first reading about love, living a quiet life, minding one’s affairs and industry. Justice, peace, honesty, modest, etc are also good, we should embrace them. 

What does it mean to be faithful? It is being constant in keeping instructions, commandments and rules. St. Paul required faithfulness of the Thessalonians when he asked them to do more and more what they were charged. We are to be faithful by doing constantly what the Church charges us. God teaches us through the church. God also teaches us in the life of Jesus Christ. Hence, St. Paul says, “Concerning love of the brethren you have no need to have any one write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another”.

The master called the third servant wicked and slothful. He was wicked because of his ill-disposition. Being ill-disposed, he saw his master as being manipulative, hard and thief. He says, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow”. Being slothful is being lazy, being lazy in carrying out spiritual exercises. Some of us are like the servant, for we are lazy to pray, fast, read the word of God, etc. Being slothful leads to self-destruction. Industry leads to advancement and more of grace and blessings.   

Prayer  

 God our Father, help us to be good and faithful servants of Yours; may we embrace love, live humbly, be industrious, that we may grow in love and grace; may we reject wickedness, gossip and being slothful. Amen 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke