“Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor.” (CCC 1807)
Parables are meant to rock our understanding of what we think we know and understand about God. Pairing the Psalm Response with this Gospel rocked me on my heels and completely changed my point of view.
I have always struggled with this parable. I related to the servant who played it safe and buried the talent in the dirt. If it isn’t mine to begin with, it isn’t mine to risk and I at least I would return back to the Master what was given to me.
That may be the safe route, but it certainly isn’t the just route and God calls us to justice.
It also demonstrates a big fallacy in my thinking. That something I have, whether it be a talent (not necessarily a coin talent but a gift from God talent) or a material good is really mine. That just isn’t true.
Everything I have in my life from the skills and talents I use on a daily basis to the roof over my head, from the paycheck which is deposited into my checking account every other week to the Church I call home, none of that is really mine. It has been given to me by my Master. Given to me, not to bury and hold safe, but to use to glorify God and provide for my neighbor. Everything I have is to be consistently and firmly used to give God and my neighbor their due. That is the definition of justice.
And that rocks my understanding, both of this parable and myself.
“La justicia es la virtud moral que consiste en la constante y firme voluntad de dar a Dios y al prójimo lo que les es debido.” (CIC 1807)
Las parábolas están destinadas a sacudir nuestra comprensión de lo que creemos que sabemos y entendemos acerca de Dios. Combinar la Respuesta del Salmo con este Evangelio me sacó de honda y cambió por completo mi punto de vista.
Siempre he luchado con esta parábola. Me relacioné con el sirviente que fue a lo seguro y enterró el talento en la tierra. Si no es mío para empezar, no es mío para arriesgar y yo al menos le devolvería al Maestro lo que me fue dado.
Esa puede ser la ruta segura, pero ciertamente no es la ruta justa y Dios nos llama a la justicia.
También demuestra una gran falacia en mi pensamiento. Ese algo que tengo, ya sea un talento (no necesariamente un talento monetario sino un don de Dios) o un bien material, es realmente mío, lo cual, simplemente no es cierto.
Todo lo que tengo en mi vida, desde las habilidades y talentos que utilizo a diario hasta el techo sobre mi cabeza, desde el cheque de pago que se deposita en mi cuenta corriente cada dos semanas hasta mi parroquia, nada de eso es realmente mío. Me ha sido dado por mi Maestro. Dado a mí, no para enterrar y mantener a salvo, sino para usar para glorificar a Dios y proveer para mi prójimo. Todo lo que tengo debe ser usado consistente y firmemente para dar a Dios y a mi prójimo lo que les corresponde. Esa es la definición de justicia.
Y eso desafía mi entendimiento, tanto de esta parábola como de mí mismo.
Sheryl is happy to be the number 1 cheerleader and supporter for her husband, Tom who is a candidate for the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Kalamazoo. They are so grateful for the opportunity to grow together in this process. Sheryl’s day job is serving her community as the principal for St. Therese Catholic School in Wayland, Michigan. Since every time she thinks she gets life all figured out, she realizes just how far she has to go, St. Rita of Cascia is her go-to Saint for intercession and help. Home includes Carlyn, a very, very goofy Golden Retriever and Lucy, our not-so-little rescue puppy.
Feature Image Credit: Priyansh Patidar, unsplash.com/photos/GtTzt6winiQ
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