"Reign of God, Reign of God, Reign of God....." Jesus' message was the Proclamation of the Good News that God was now with us in a new definitive way, as never before, in the person of Jesus Himself. We could be changed, and the world could be changed forever. Except for one thing----we have been invited not just to be changed, but to make this change happen in ways specifice to each one of us.
In the Church's work with young people (church being all of us) it is crucial that we focus on helping our young people discern and grow their gifts, because they too are called to change the world as only they can, precisely because of thier youthfulness. We often overlook our young people as not being mature enough or experienced enough, or spiritual enough to discern and use their gifts for the building up of God's Reign in this world. We are wrong when we do this and we are wrong when we do not make them a priority in our Church by walking with them on this faith journey of discipleship to Jesus Christ. Often it is not what we do, say or how we act toward "the Young Church" through which they perceive our true attitude about them, most often it is what we do not do for them, which is worse.
From the work done in the social sciences we know that there are some critical times "a window of opportunity" in the development of human beings in which people are most open to assimimilating their experience with their perception of reality. One of these times is at the very young early childhood age through about age six, and another time is the age of adolescence. As a church we have not not understood the great opportunities that can happen when young people encounter Christ in their midst. An experience such as this will impact that young person for the rest of their life. My thesis, which I am sure others have already come to understand and write about, is that if young people connect to Jesus Christ in adolescence, then they will stay connected for life through this experience. If they have not, then they will go and find some place, some people, some things, where they can feel connected to.
But what does all this jibberish have to do with the readings for this Sunday--the money entrusted to the sevants by the master...
I have never really liked this particular reading until this past Saturday when I sat down to reflect on it a bit. I had always thought it was unfair or downright mean of the master to punish the servant to whom he had given the least to. Poor guy was afraid and so as not to risk getting into trouble, he buried the money for safekeeping. How mean of the Master to take away the little the servant had been given and to be thrown out in the street where there would be wailing and grinding of teeth.(OUCH!) But this is what I started to reflect about...
As mentors and adults, and as the Batpized, we have a double duty to mentor and hand on our faith to the generations coming after us, to help not only ourselves but our young people in discerning and growing their gifts for the building up of God's Reign in our hearts and in the world.
What are our gifts? What do we (each of us) LOVE to do? How can we use our giftedness for the building of of God's Reign today, for that is why we have been given these gifts? How can we mentor others in discipleship?
So now I understand that the Master was angry because the servant had done nothing for himself or for anyone else. He wasted the gift God had given him. So let us be people proud to know what God has done for us and using what God has done for the building up of God's Reign in our hearts, for others and for the world...as never before until God entered into human history through Jesus Christ. So we have no excuses, especially YOU, if you are reading this "reflection"(or me as I am the one writing it). No excuses!
Blessed are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways!
As a young girl, my mother shared her faith with me in many ways. Church every Sunday (and donuts after, if we weren't late); she would sit me on her lap and talk to me about God and Jesus; she would give me coins and help me light one of the candles in front of the big statue of Mary. So I learned to be in "awe" of God and everything that had to do with "church".
For you shall eat of your handiwork; blessed shall you be and favored.
My mother had a rosary in the pocket of every sweater she owned, and a few in several of her aprons. After she passed, I found three more rosaries in long forgotten sweaters way in the back of her closet. As a young girl, I would come into the family room where she would be sitting in her chair, gazing out the window, with a rosary in one hand and her worn, taped together blue novena book in the other.
Blessed are you who fear the Lord.
She made a shrine (well she designed it and my Dad built it) to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and The Virgin Mary out of the hall closet. It became "part of the woodwork" of the house--we all just took it for granted. So it was amusing to see our friend's reactions to it when they first came over. And then they got used to it, too. My Dad still lives in that house, and that shrine is exactly the same as it was when he and my Mom first built it, over 40 years ago.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home.
When I was in college, a good friend of mine took me aside and told me that she just could not see me as a businesswoman. She asked what I most wanted to study? She knew what I would answer. I told her that I really wanted to study theology--God stuff.... She asked me another question which I had to think about. What is your gift? The only thing I could think of was "faith", the greatest gift I had been given was the gift of faith. She didn't wait for me to answer, she just told me straight out that "there is a university down the road that teaches this stuff. I dare you to go over there, fill out an application and send it in. And don't forget to file some forms for financial aid!" And then she was in her car and driving away. She was crazy--that was a tough school to get into... but I decided to take a chance and took her up on her dare. Two weeks after I had sent off all the forms I received a fat envelope in the mail from Santa Clara University....I WAS IN!!!!
To make a very long story short....i just received my masters degree in June, (worked my ____ off) in Pastoral Ministry from Santa Clara University!
Your children like olive plants around your table.
And this is the meaning of the story of the talents...gifts each one of us has been given to proclaim, promote, and bring about God's Reign of JUSTICE here and now. The servant who buried the money he had, did not use what he had been given and had nothing to show for it. Yet, the servant who had been given the most had much to show and was given even more. This can really happen--I know it can because this has happened to me. I am amazed at the gifts Ihave received all because I took a bit if a risk (risk of rejection) to go to a university to study what I most loved. I am amazed at the place I am in Church ministry working for what I most love. Even the slightest "Yes" reponse will bring us great treasure, the kind of treasure that will fill us up, give us peace and the most real experience of being loved. I know this---because it has happen to me--and it can can happen to every person!!!!
Behold, thus is the woman blessed who fears the Lord!
Blessed are you who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
--Sandy Velasco Scott
