A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 6, n. 51)
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – November 16, 2008
“Working for the Lord”
BIBLE READINGS
Prov 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 // I Thes 5:1-6 // Mt 25:14-30
(N.B. Series 6 of BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy of Year A from the perspective of the First Reading. For another set of reflections on the Sunday liturgy of Year A, please go to the PDDM Web Archives: WWW.PDDM.US and open Series 3.)
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
The Book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, some attributed to King Solomon, but actually written by many people over a period of five hundred years up to a few centuries before Christ. Its multiple authors span the different periods of Israel’s history, from the monarchies of Judah and Israel to the period after the Babylonian captivity when the kingdom of Judah was reestablished under the Persians (538 B.C.). This remarkable array of “folk wisdom” gives us a glimpse of how traditions regulate people’s lives in a particular social setting. Moreover, it contains wise counsels about human relations and human living.
This Sunday’s Old Testament reading from this “wisdom book” (Prov 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31) depicts a woman of sterling quality – a feminine ideal of integrity, personal dedication and productive toil. The “worthy wife” to whom the husband “entrusted his heart” responds fully and creatively to his gift of love. Her response of love bears fruit in works of charity to the needy and is animated by a reverential “fear of God”. Her assets are not outward charm, which could be seductive, and fleeting physical beauty, but her inner strength, prudence, wisdom and generosity to the poor. Indeed, this noble woman is to be valued more than precious pearls. Her good works deserve to be rewarded and commended. She is praiseworthy for her integral love response, creative fidelity and religious spirit.
Harold Buetow remarks: “This passage shows the worthy wife to be a model of energetic faithfulness to the small tasks which God gives all of us, male and female, every day. That’s the passage connection with the Gospel. Like the profitable servant we are called to be, the worthy wife takes what has been given her and improves upon it. She thus improves the lives of all she touches.”
The creative fidelity and fruitful toil of the “worthy wife” in the Book of Proverbs reinforce what the Lord Jesus enunciates as a challenge in this Sunday’s Gospel reading (Mt 25:14-30), that is, the duty of Christian disciples to make profitable use of the gifts given them for the good of the community and the kingdom. The “talented” servants, waiting for his return, must respond to the trust given them by the Lord by acting responsibly and creatively, with a dash of “adventure” and some risk taking.
The liturgical scholar Adrian Nocent comments on today’s parable of the talents: “Certainly the parable is as rich in instruction for the Church of our day as it was for the first Christian communities. The entire emphasis is on the service every Christian owes to God. Because he is a servant, it is his duty to make profitable use of the gifts given him for the good of the community and the kingdom. The parable makes it clear that it is not enough simply to give the gift back to God in the form in which we received it … The master’s answer prevents all possibility of misunderstanding. We are all servants and have no choice in the matter. It is not enough for us to preserve what was entrusted to us; we must make it bear fruit in the service of God and others. The baptismal grace that has made us adopted sons and daughters must grow and may not simply be left in its original state; we may legitimately aspire to intensify it, because that is our duty. Such an attitude is inspired by love and gratitude. It springs also from our awareness that we are called to collaborate in spreading God’s kingdom and preparing for the unexpected coming of Christ.”
Jenny Williams, the main character in Elaine Long’s novel, “Jenny’s Mountain”, seems to me a modern-day reincarnation of the “worthy wife” in the Book of Proverbs (cf. READER’S DIGEST CONDENSED BOOK, vol. 2, 1988). The beautiful twenty-three year old Jenny, remarkable for her great intelligence and integrity, was a faithful wife and an excellent mother. She was personally dedicated to her daily tasks. She was fruitful in all her endeavors as a woman miner, a table waitress and a student. She aced her GED (= General Equivalency Diploma) exams. Jenny was truly a model of energetic faithfulness. Through her vigorous toil, the mountain – her mountain - in Colorado yielded its treasures up to her. Above all, she was a self-sacrificing friend and a courageous defender of the afflicted. The following is an interesting episode of the visit of her friend, Karen whom she had helped to escape the abusive, violent clutch of the alcoholic miner Tully Stocker.
While they ate, Jenny told Karen about her job at Mom’s Bar and her plans for the mine. After dinner, when the dishes were done and the children were asleep, Jenny said, “Why don’t you sit in the rocking chair?” She then took the Navajo blanket from the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders. Sitting down on the floor and leaning back against the bed, she asked, “Did someone from Hope House meet your bus?” “Yes,” said Karen. “The house director. He looked over the passengers and picked me out at once.” She laughed. “I know now that it wasn’t hard to guess which one I was. I saw plenty of first-timers while I was there – all subdued, all ashamed.” “How long did you stay at Hope House?” “A month. Then they helped me get a job, and I rented a room, but I went to the house almost every night for meetings, to talk with other women just like me. The meetings were the only things that kept me going. Can you believe that after the first weeks I started to feel ashamed about running on Tully? One night I even talked about coming back.” Jenny sat up straight. “Karen, you wouldn’t have.” “Oh, yes, I would. I was that sick. But at the meeting, after I’d described the situation that made me leave, someone said, ‘And what about Jenny?’” Karen stopped and looked at her friend. “That was the first time I really thought about how brave you were to get me out of there.” She shook her head slowly, “I knew I couldn’t go back and make it all for nothing.” (…) Karen put her hand over Jenny’s. “You still give me courage. And I’m going to need it.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
How does the “worthy wife” of the Book of Proverbs inspire you? What are the qualities in her that you wish to emulate?
What are the various responses of the servants entrusted with various talents by the Master? Which servant are you – the adventurous, creative risk-taker or the smug, complacent one?
What are the talents you have received and how do you use them to promote the coming of God’s kingdom?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: We thank you, gracious Father,
for the sterling quality and integrity of the proverbial “worthy wife”,
who responded fully to the love of her spouse.
We thank you for the adventurous, risk-taking servants
who invested the Divine Master’s trust
with creative and energetic fidelity.
You have loved us with your compassionate, paternal heart
and in your Son Jesus Christ,
you have entrusted us with baptismal grace.
Like the noble wife,
help us to be creative and fruitful in our faithfulness.
Moreover, like the enterprising “talented” servants,
make us industrious and generous
in putting our gifts at the service of one another and of your kingdom,
where you live and reign forever and ever.
Assembly: Amen
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“Well done, my good and faithful servant.” (Mt 25:21)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
ACTION PLAN: By sharing your gifts and talents with the people around you and with the poor and needy in today’s society, contribute to hasten the coming of God’s kingdom on earth. Pray for those who are in distress because they are unable to make their God-given talents bear fruit.
ACTION PLAN: That we may toil fruitfully for the Lord and multiply our God-given talents, make an effort to spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Visit the PDDM WEB site (www.pddm.us) for the EUCHARISTIC ADORATION THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR: A Weekly Pastoral Tool (Year A, # 51).
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
Website: WWW.PDDM.US