28 August 2021

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

This week’s final Gospel reading (Matt 25:14-30) is the parable of the talents. The parable and its meaning should be largely familiar to us; as is often the case, however, a closer look at small details can be fruitful for reflection. 

At the start of the parable, our Lord sets the scenario: a man entrusts his possessions to his servants, giving to each according to his ability. This simple phrase can be the source of great encouragement for us. The Lord, who knit each one of us together in our mother’s womb, and who knows us better than we know ourselves, always entrusts us with responsibilities and challenges according to our ability. God never demands something of us that is beyond our abilities—and when aided by His grace, of course. When we are faced with temptations and struggles, then, it is worth remembering that the Lord always gives us grace enough for salvation (cf. SpEx 320) and, though we may have failures from a human perspective, will not permit us to suffer the true failure of the second death if we only entrust ourselves to Him. Today, we can examine our own confidence and trust in the Lord’s dispensation of grace, and we can ask that He might grant us the gift of perseverance.