Year A, Lectionary 157
10 Who shall find a strong woman? Far away, and from the furthest parts, is her price.
11 The heart of her husband confides in her, and he will not be deprived of spoils.
12 She will repay him with good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
13 She has sought wool and flax, and she has worked these by the counsel of her hands.
19 She has put her hand to strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle.
20 She has opened her hand to the needy, and she has extended her hands to the poor.
30 Charm is false, and beauty is vain. The woman who fears the Lord, the same shall be praised.
31 Give to her from the fruit of her own hands. And let her works praise her at the gates.
“So in light of this beautiful reading could I invite everybody listening to me now, when you go off to work, whatever that is...think of this now as collaborating with the purposes of God. See it as a spiritual act, a moral act, an act that brings you into union with the purpose of God”
Bishop Robert Barron “A Spirituality of Work”
1 A Canticle in steps. Blessed are all those who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways.
2 For you will eat by the labors of your hands. Blessed are you, and it will be well with you.
3 Your wife is like an abundant vine on the sides of your house. Your sons are like young olive trees surrounding your table.
4 Behold, so will the man be blessed who fears the Lord.
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion, and may you see the good things of Jerusalem, all the days of your life.
1 But concerning dates and times, brothers, you do not need us to write to you.
2 For you yourselves thoroughly understand that the day of the Lord shall arrive much like a thief in the night.
3 For when they will say, “Peace and security!” then destruction will suddenly overwhelm them, like the labor pains of a woman with child, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that you would be overtaken by that day as by a thief.
5 For all of you are sons of light and sons of daytime; we are not of nighttime, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore, let us not sleep, as the rest do. Instead, we should be vigilant and sober.
14 For it is like a man setting out on a long journey, who called his servants and delivered to them his goods.
15 And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, yet to another he gave one, to each according to his own ability. And promptly, he set out.
16 Then he who had received five talents went out, and he made use of these, and he gained another five.
17 And similarly, he who had received two gained another two.
18 But he who had received one, going out, dug into the earth, and he hid the money of his lord.
19 Yet truly, after a long time, the lord of those servants returned and he settled accounts with them.
20 And when he who had received five talents approached, he brought another five talents, saying: ‘Lord, you delivered five talents to me. Behold, I have increased it by another five.’
21 His lord said to him: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful over a few things, I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the gladness of your lord.’
22 Then he who had received two talents also approached, and he said: ‘Lord, you delivered two talents to me. Behold, I have gained another two.’
23 His lord said to him: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful over a few things, I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the gladness of your lord.’
24 Then he who had received one talent, approaching, said: ‘Lord, I know that you are a hard man. You reap where you have not sown, and gather where you have not scattered.
25 And so, being afraid, I went out and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’
26 But his lord said to him in response: ‘You evil and lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered.
27 Therefore, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and then, at my arrival, at least I would have received what is mine with interest.
28 And so, take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.
29 For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he shall have in abundance. But from him who has not, even what he seems to have, shall be taken away.
30 And cast that useless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
“God is not taking, God is a 'letting be.' Therefore, you have to learn how to give if you want to have God. Let that sink into your heart.”
Bishop Robert Barron “Parable of the Talents”
“It's not a competition. The point is to do what you can with what you have. Some get 5, some get 2, some get 1. Okay, that's the way it goes in life. But we're not competing with each other.”
Bishop Robert Barron “The Great Spiritual Law”
“You want your faith to grow? Give it away. Spread it. Invest it. You want your faith to disappear? Bury it. You bury your faith in the privacy of your own life...what will happen is that faith will eventually fade away.”
Bishop Robert Barron “Burying the Talents”
“Cling to your life you'll lose it in the same way you lose the money you cling to. Invest your life in love and you will find it 30, 60 and 100 fold. That's the key to sainthood.”
Bishop Robert Barron “Life is a Risk”
“Each day is a gift, an opportunity to recognise and appreciate the grace of God's love and to embrace the faith that has been entrusted to us”
Tessie James “33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time”
