18th NOVEMBER. WEDNESDAY OF WEEK 33

Dedication of the basilicas of saints Peter and Paul in Rome ( Optinal memorial)

The basilica on the Vatican Hill marks the place in Rome where saint Peter was buried after his martyrdom. It seems the apostle's remains were moved for a time to the catacombs of Callistus, but later brought back to the Vatican. Saint Paul was burried beside his place of execution, on the Ostian way, where his basilica now stands. The tombs of these apostles soon became major centers of Christian devotion. In 210, Caius, a priest in Rome, wrote: " I can show you the trophies of the apostles. For both on the Vatican hill and on the Ostian road, you will meet with the monuments of the men who by their preaching  and miracles founded this church."

1st reading: 2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31

The mother of seven sons urges them to die rather than abandon the covenant

It happened also that seven brothers and their mother were arrested and were being compelled by the king, under torture with whips and thongs, to partake of unlawful swine's flesh.

The mother was especially admirable and worthy of honorable Although she saw her seven sons perish within a single day, she bore it with good courage because of her hope in the Lord. She encouraged each of them in the language of their ancestors. Filled with a noble spirit, she reinforced her woman's reasoning with a man's courage , and said to them, " I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within each of you. Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning  of humankind and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws."

Antiochus felt that he was being treated with contempt, and he was suspicious of her reproachful tone. The youngest brother being still alive, Antiochus not only appealed to him in words, but promised with oaths that he would make him rich and enviable  if he would turn from the ways of his ancestors, and that he would take him for his Friend and entrust him with public affairs. Since the young man would not listen to him at all, the king called the mother to him and urged her to advise the youth to save himself. After much urging on his part, she undertook to persuade her son. But, leaning close to him, she spoke in their native language as follows, deriding the cruel tyrant: My son, have pity on me. I carried you nine months in my womb, and nursed you for three years, and have reared you and brought you up to this point in your life, and have taken care of you. I beg you, my child, to look at the heaven and the earth and see everything that is in them, and recognize that God did not make them out of things that existed. And in the same way the human race came into being. 

Do not fear this butcher, but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death, so that in God's mercy I may get you back again along with your brothers."

While she was still speaking, the young man said, "What are you waiting for? I will not obey the king's command, but I obey the command of the law that was given to our ancestors through Moses. But you, who have contrived all sorts of evil against the Hebrews, will certainly not escape the hands of God.

Gospel: Luke 19;11-28

A man entrusts property to his servants; returning, he rewards those who grew his investment

As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. So he said, " A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. He summoned ten of his slaves and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, ' Do business with these until I come back.' But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ' We do not want this man to rule over us.'

When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these slaved, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what  they had gained by trading. The first came forward and said, Lord, your pound had made ten more pounds.' He said to him, ' well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge  of ten cities.' Then the second came saying,' Lord, your pound has made five pounds.' He said to him,' And you, rule over five cities.' Then the other came saying, ' Lord here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' He said to him, ' I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.' He said to bystanders,' Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds.' ( And they said to him, ' Lord he has ten pounds!') ' I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. But as from those who have nothing, even what they have  will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them- bring them here and slaughter them in my presence. After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

REFLECTIONS AND MEDITATIONS ON THE READINGS

Jesus tells his listeners and us: NOT YET! In the meantime, he advises us to work for the kingdom , to use all our talents of nature and grace to give glory to God and do good for our neighbor.

In the parable above, Jesus invites us to use the talents we have been given by God. Talents here refers not only to natural talents and abilities, such as having a high I.Q. or ability to compose music, to paint beautiful pictures or make furniture, to croquet, and so forth. Talents are also graces which God gives to us on the supernatural level, for example, the grace to pray, to do good works for the poor and sick for the love of God. So whatever gifts God has given us can fall under the classification of talents.

Many a person may think he/she/ has no talent for praying. The person tries praying and finds that she/he can spend even an hour in prayer. Another may feel he/she is shy and cannot deal well with people. He/she joins group a group doing some apostolate like making house to house visits and finds that he/she can meet people, converse with them, feel for them and influence them in a positive way.

A story is told about a young freelance artist who tried to sell his sketches to a number of newspapers. They all turned him down, one editor told him that he had no talent. However, he had faith in his ability and kept on trying to sell his work. Finally he got a job making drawings for a church publicity material. He rented a mouse- infested garage and continued to produce drawings in the hope that someone would buy them.

One of the mice in the garage must have inspired him, for he created a cartoon character called Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney was on his way.(was almost becoming popular like an American entrepreneur, cartoonist, animator, voice actor). It is because of the diligence and perseverance of the young freelance artist that led him to success and at the same time a blessing to many others.

Likewise, the parable of the talents challenges us to cultivate  regularly and perseveringly our God-given talents- qualities and virtues to produce good fruits. Like a garden that is taken care of regularly in order to produce flowers our talents are not kept personally or secretly, they must be shared to others. Do I share my talents to others? Is my success a blessing to my community? Could my life of good example help others to come closer to Christ?

Prayer: My Lord and my God be the king of my heart and thoughts. Help me to make good use of the talents You have given me for the good of others and for Your greater glory. Amen.