prepared by Carmelite Vocation and WebTeam
THE CARMELITE SAINTS in their prayers and reflections reveal a deep communion with the Passion of Jesus. In the light of Christ crucified they beheld the depths of the heart of God and discovered there as well the meaning of the human heart.
One of the most fruitful practices of Christian piety is known as The Way of the Cross (or Stations of the Cross), a devotion that in all probability dates back to the era of the first Christians.
As practiced today, the devotion centers on fourteen chosen representations of the sufferings of Christ on his way to Calvary. Each station or stop is a place for contemplation, a moment to gaze on the sorrowful Christ who remains close to us in the mystery of human suffering.
FIRST STATION: Jesus is condemned to death
"When the soul reaches the stage at which it pays little attention to praise, it pays even less attention to disapproval. Blame strengthens the soul; what's more, it acquires a special and tender love for its persecutors." ~ Saint Teresa of Avila 
Lord, my soul is before you. You know me deeply, you know all about me, you read into my inmost depths. You gather every tear and respond to my every smile. There is no space or time in my life when you do not visit with your love, with your friendship. I thank you for all of this, my God. My path in this life is traced out, is certain: with each step, I want to be with you, in joy and in struggle, in peace and in misunderstanding, in company and in solitude. Your presence, O Jesus, makes my soul strong, even in weakness.
SECOND STATION: Jesus carries the cross
"Jesus lavishes his crosses as the most certain mark of his tenderness, for He will to make you like Him. So why be afraid of not being able to carry the cross without weakening?" ~ Saint Thérèse of Lisieux 
Lord, so many times I knew your tenderness in my life! Especially in the painful moments, when I could no longer find the words to say, when it was impossible for me to pray, when there was only night...You became near, even in silence, with a barely perceptible touch. I saw you in some many times, Jesus, that I could look you in the eye. Then, when the light returned, when the tears were dried, I felt a little more like you, a little more your son and brother.
THIRD STATION: Jesus falls the first time
A 'scientia crucis' can be gained only when one comes to feel the cross radically. The entire sum of human failures can be blotted out by the expiation of the cross. ~ St. Edith Stein 
Lord, I know that I do not know you as I should, as I would like. I know that I still have a long journey, walking behind you, following in your footsteps, even in the shadow of the cross. All that I can brag about are my weaknesses, my faults. Humanly speaking, Jesus, I am truly a poor thing, but with you in my heart and in my life, I feel rich, I feel happy. I do not want to hide myself before you; I open my arms, I open my heart so that you may enter into my poverty with true wealth, which is your cross. Yes, my Savior: this is the sign of Love.
FOURTH STATION: Jesus meets his mother
The Gospel here places no words in the mouth of your mother. And you, too, my Jesus speak not a word. Your 
silence is eloquent. ~ Bl. Titus Brandsma
Lord, I also want to remain in silence, in this moment, to gather that exchange of infinite love that unites you and your Mother. I lift my eyes, Jesus, and see you, I stay to look at your face, the eyes of a Son, that reflect the figure of your Mother. You do not speak, but give your Presence: you give yourself, and you give your Mother. I receive her as my Lady, my dearest Mother.
FIFTH STATION: Simon of Cyrene helps carry the cross
"All bear their crosses although these crosses be different. If a person wants to gain freedom of spirit and not always be troubled let him begin by not being frightened by the cross. Then he will see how the Lord helps him carry it." ~ St. John of the Cross 
Lord, I am afraid. I want to flee from every pain, from every trial. Above all, solitude frightens me, blocks me. All of those times when the shadow of the cross reappears in my life, I struggle to continue to hope. Perhaps I am tired by now, Jesus. But I want to try once more, I want to make myself closer to your heart. I extend my hand and grasp yours; I offer the little strength I have, the nothing that I am. Only with you will I be able to carry the cross.
SIXTH STATION: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
”Jesus is not alone on the way of the cross. Today, as then, not only are there adversaries, but there are those who assist him. Representative of those who love Him and wish to assist Him is Veronica.” ~ St. Edith Stein
Lord, I have only one desire in my heart: to be your friend, to walk with you, to share life with you. I know that you are suffering, walking along the way of sadness. I see so many people around. I also come, I search for you, I make myself as close as possible. I want to love you; nothing else is important to me. Together with Veronica I search for your face, O You who are my Light!
SEVENTH STATION: Jesus falls the second time
”When you walk in the dark night and in the emptiness of spiritual poverty, you will think that everyone and everything is failing you — including God. But nothing is failing you.” ~ St. John of the Cross
Lord, I miss you! How can you tell me that you are always near, that you share everything with me? I feel the solitude, the sadness, the anxiety. You also fell, under the weight of an infinite pain. How can I find you again, my Shepherd? I, the lost sheep, need you. Rise up again, arise, good Shepherd! Now I will follow you all the days of my life.
EIGHTH STATION: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
"O Jesus, let me weep for myself, for I am nothing but dry wood to be cast into the fire. But you give new life to the dry wood by grafting it onto the wood of the cross.” ~ Bl. Titus Brandsma 
Lord, you are my Fire! Like poor wood, by now without life, I only want to throw myself into your arms. Gather me close, I pray! It does not matter if this means that I will need to be united to the cross of your pain. Only with you can I be happy again. Our united tears will become a song of joy.
NINTH STATION: Jesus falls the third time
”Even though you should fall one hundred times, to prove your love for Him, rise each time with even greater strength.” ~ St. Thérèse of Lisieux 
Lord, I am ashamed of myself; I fall and fall again, my lose myself, I distance myself, I close myself off. And when I find myself like this, down and without anymore strength in myself, I then understand that the only thing to do, the only step to take is to enter into myself again, like the lost son of in the parable, and there, in the depths of my soul, to rediscover your love for me. Clinging to this I can rise up again, only urged on by infinite trust in the tenderness of your friend, O my Savior.
TENTH STATION: Jesus is stripped of his garments
”The soul that is stripped of self and clothed in Jesus Christ has nothing to fear from the exterior world. Therefore I renounce myself each day so that Christ may increase in me.” ~ Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity 
Lord, so many times by now, I have felt stripped of everything that I held precious, indispensable to my life. So many experiences in the world have made me understand that, in the end, nothing remains except your only presence, your faithful love. I thought, therefore, of leaving behind useless things, perhaps even so many companions that did not bring me to you. Little by little, I stripped myself and reclothed myself in the most beautiful garment, which is You, O Jesus.
ELEVENTH STATION: Jesus is nailed to the cross
”I resolved to remain in spirit at the foot of the cross and to receive the divine dew, the blood falling to the ground with no one hastening to gather it up. I then understood that I was to pour it out upon souls.” ~ St. Thérèse of Lisieux 
Lord, by your grace, I have arrived to this point, at the foot of your cross. I see you nailed, to the wood, but even more to the pain, to love, to your will to save us. Every drop of your blood that falls is a promise of a new life, for each one of us, your sons, scattered throughout the world, throughout all times of the poor history of humanity. As your brother and your friend, O Jesus, I want to learn every day to gather the precious drops of your word for us, of your infinite love, and then, without keeping them for me, I want more and more to give them to all those who I meet along my path.
TWELFTH STATION: Jesus dies on the cross
"Death cannot be bitter for the soul that loves, for in it she finds all the sweetness and delight of love. She rejoices over death as she would over the thought of her betrothal and marriage, and she longs for the day and the hour of her death." ~ St. John of the Cross 
Lord, your death is a great school; here I can learn to love, to truly live; here I can find a sense of my life. Before you, crucified, I see that love and pain are one thing and it is through this that death is defeated and cannot overcome us. Together with you, even death, every little death in my experience of life, becomes sweet, because now I know that in pain I can find love. Thank you, Lord Jesus.
THIRTEENTH STATION: Jesus is taken down from the cross
"You will not arrive at what you desire by following your own path, or even by high contemplation; but only through a great humility and a surrender of the heart." ~ St. Thérèse of Lisieux 
Lord, I know that there is nothing great, bright or strong for me to present to you. I have nothing more if not my heart. After this long walk in your footsteps, through trial and the pain of the cross, I desire only the give you my heart, my love, my life. I abandon myself to your embrace: I know that you receive me, as I am.
FOURTEENTH STATION: Jesus is laid in the tomb
"The soul must empty itself of all that is not God in order to go to God. . . For Christ, desire to enter into complete nakedness and poverty in everything." ~ St. John of the Cross 
Lord, the last step is steep descent, an entrance into the darkness of the tomb. I hoped, arriving here at the top, to see a clearer light, to receive the beneficial rays of the sun. Instead, it is still not time for this. However, I choose to remain with you, to descend also in the obscure solitude of the tomb, of the darkness. I am not afraid, because I believe that your love is stronger; I know that you will raise and give new life also to me.
(Prepared and translated by Carmelite Nuns of Ravenna, Carmelite Vocation Resource, Fr. Emiel Abalahin, O.Carm)
Your petitions will be remembered at Mass and in prayer by the Carmelites during these Novena days.
Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh, and gave it to his people to eat. Then he left and followed Elijah as his attendant. Kg. 19.21
O Lord, who hast mercy upon all,
take away from me my sins,
and mercifully kindle in me
the fire of thy Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone,
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore Thee,
a heart to delight in Thee,
to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ's sake, Amen
St. Ambrose of Milan (AD 339-397)
Contemplation is the inner journey of Carmelites, arising out of the free initiative of God, who touches and transforms us, leading us towards unity of love with him, raising us up so that we may enjoy this gratuitous love and live in his loving presence. Carmelite Constitutions - 17
Father in Heaven,
the light of your truth bestows sight
to the darkness of sinful eyes.
May this season of repentance
bring us the blessing of Your forgiveness
and the gift of Your light.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL)
You must use every care to clothe yourselves in God’s armour so that you may be ready to withstand the enemy’s ambush.
Carmelite Rule - 18
Dear Jesus,
You spent 40-days in the desert before you began your ministry to the world. You resisted the temptations offered by the devil, saying no to worldly pleasures and power. Like the prophets before you, 40-days in the desert was preparation for the great mission of your life. As Lent begins, help us to make our lives pure and holy. Give us the grace to willingly make our own self-denials into personal deserts, which will prepare us for your work. Purify our souls in the crucible of this Lenten season, and make our hearts acceptable to you and your Father. Amen.
You are to fast every day, except Sundays, from the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross until Easter Day, unless bodily sickness or feebleness, or some other good reason, demand a dispensation from the fast; for necessity overrides every law. Carmelite Rule - 16
God of Compassion, on this day of ashes and comfort for all remind me once more that I belong to You, that I come from You and to You I go. Open my heart, my mind, and my hands so that I may give You my sins, receive Your forgiveness, and recommit myself once more to love with tenderness, to act with justice, and to walk humbly by Your side. (from USCCB)
Following initial discussions during the Council of Provinces at San Felice del Benaco, Italy, in September 2009, the provincials of the Italian, Neapolitan, and Maltese Provinces together with the Commissary General of "La Bruna" held two subsequent meetings with the Councillor General for Europe, Fr. John Keating, O.Carm. one at Sassone (10th September 2010) and the second at Carmine Maggiore, Naples (31st January 2011). As a result of these discussions, they decided to resurrect the Italy/Malta Region, which was first established in 1984. They also drew up new statutes in conformity with the 1995 Constitutions. Fr. Michael Farrugia, O.Carm. was elected President of the Region for the next two years. The General Council approved the new statutes during its February meeting. In the geographical area of Europe there are now three regions, Iberia, Northern Europe and Italy/Malta. The General Delegation in France has already decided to join the Northern European Region.
More...
- Prioress: Sr. Lucia LaMontagne, O.Carm.
- 1st Councilor: Sr. Sheryl Guzek, O.Carm.
- 2nd Councilor: Sr.Jane Winkler, O.Carm.
- Director of Novices: Sr. Lucia LaMontagne, O.Carm.
- Treasurer: Sr. Sheryl Guzek, O.Carm.
- Prior Provincial: Fr. Mathew Neendoor, O.Carm.
- First Councilor: Fr. Shaji Kuzhinjalil, O.Carm.
- Second Councilor: Fr. Paul Poovan, O.Carm.
- Third Councilor: Fr. Sebastian Vadakeparambil, O.Carm.
- Fourth Councilor: Fr. Thomas Thalachirayil, O.Carm.
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
You redeem us
and make us Your children in Christ.
Look upon us,
give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance You promised.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 6:20-26
Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way."
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today presents four blessings and four curses in Luke’s Gospel. There is a progressive revelation in the way in which Luke presents the teaching of Jesus. Up to 6:16, he says many times, that Jesus taught the people, but he did not describe the content of the teaching (Lk 4:15,31-32,44; 5:1,3,15,17; 6:6). Now, after having said that Jesus sees the crowd desirous to hear the Word of God, Luke presents the first great discourse which begins with the exclamation, “Blessed are you who are poor!” and “Alas for you, rich!” and then takes up all the rest of the chapter (Lk 6:12-49). Some call this discourse the “discourse on the plain” because, according to Luke, Jesus came down from the mountain and stopped in a place which was flat and there He pronounced His discourse. In Matthew’s Gospel, this same discourse is given on the mountain (Mt 5:1) and is called “The Sermon on the Mount.” In Matthew, in this discourse there are eight Beatitudes, which trace a program of life for the Christian communities of Jewish origin. In Luke, the sermon is shorter and more radical. It contains only four Beatitudes and four curses, directed to the Hellenistic communities, formed by rich and poor. This discourse of Jesus will be meditated on in the daily Gospel of the next days.
• Luke 6:20: Blessed are you, poor! Looking at the disciples, Jesus declares, “Blessed are you who are poor, the Kingdom of Heaven is yours!” This declaration identifies the social category of the disciples. They are poor! And Jesus promises them, “The Kingdom is yours!” It is not a promise made for the future. The verb is in the present. The Kingdom belongs to them already. They are blessed now. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus makes explicit the meaning of this and says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit!” (Mt 5:3). They are the poor who have the spirit of Jesus; because there are some poor who have the mentality of the rich. The disciples of Jesus are poor and have the mentality of the poor. Like Jesus, they do not want to accumulate, but they assume their poverty and with Him, they struggle for a more just life together, where there will be fraternity and sharing of goods, without any discrimination.
• Luke 6:21-22: Blessed are you, who now hunger and weep. In the second and third Beatitude, Jesus says, “Blessed are who are hungry now, because you shall have your full! Blessed are you, who are weeping now, you shall laugh!” One part of the sentence is in the present and the other in the future. What we live and suffer now is not definitive; what is definitive is the Kingdom of God which we are constructing with the force of the spirit of Jesus. To construct the Kingdom presupposes pain, suffering and persecution, but something is certain: the Kingdom will be attained, and you will have your fill and you will laugh!
• Luke 6:23: Blessed are you when people hate you...! The 4th Beatitude refers to the future: “Blessed are you when people hate you, drive you out on account of the Son of Man!” Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, look, your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way your ancestors treated the prophets!” With these words of Jesus, Luke encourages the communities of his time, because they were persecuted. Suffering is not a death rattle, but the pain of birth pangs. It is a source of hope! Persecution was a sign that the future that had been announced by Jesus was arriving, being reached. The communities were following the right path.
• Luke 6:24-25: Alas for you who are rich! Alas for you who now have your fill and who laugh! After the four Beatitudes in favor of the poor and of the excluded, follow four threats or curses against the rich and those for whom everything goes well and are praised by everybody. The four threats have the same identical literary form as the four Beatitudes. The first one is expressed in the present. The second and the third one have a part in the present and another part in the future. And the fourth one refers completely to the future. These threats are found only in Luke’s Gospel, not in Matthew’s. Luke is more radical in denouncing injustices.
In front of Jesus, on the plains, there are no rich people. There are only sick and poor people, who have come from all parts (Lk 6:17-19). But Jesus says: “Alas for you the rich!” Luke, in transmitting these words of Jesus, is thinking more of the communities of his time. In those communities there were rich and poor people, and there was discrimination against the poor on the part of the rich, the same discrimination which marked the structure of the Roman Empire (cf. Jas 5:1-6; Rev 3:17-19). Jesus criticizes the rich very hard and directly: You rich have already received consolation! You are already filled, but you are still hungry! Now you are laughing, but you will be afflicted and will weep! This is a sign that for Jesus poverty is not something fatal, nor the fruit of prejudices, but it is the fruit of unjust enrichment on the part of others.
• Luke 6:26: Alas for you when everyone speaks well of you, because this was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets! This fourth threat refers to the sons of those who in the past praised the false prophets; because some authorities of the Jews used their prestige and power to criticize Jesus.
4) Personal questions
• Do we look at life and at people from the viewpoint of Jesus? What do you think in your heart: is a poor and hungry person truly happy? The stories which we see on television and commercial advertising, what ideal of happiness do they present?
• In saying “Blessed are the poor,” did Jesus want to say that the poor have to continue to be poor?
• Rich and poor are two terms with many interpretations. What is my interpretation? How does this fit with the meaning Jesus intended? Do I live authentically and without compromise in my interpretation of His message and meaning?
5) Concluding Prayer
Upright in all that He does,
Yahweh acts only in faithful love.
He is close to all who call upon Him,
all who call on Him from the heart. (Ps 145:17-18)
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
help us to seek the values
that will bring us enduring joy in this changing world.
In our desire for what You promise
make us one in mind and heart.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus told his disciples this parable: "A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one– to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.' His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"
3) Reflection
•Today’s Gospel presents to us the parable of the talents. This parable was between two other parables: the parable of the ten virgins (Mt 25:1-13) and the parable of the final judgment (Mt 25:31-46).These three parables clarify and orientate people concerning the coming of the Kingdom. The parable of the ten virgins insists on vigilance: the Kingdom may arrive at any moment. The parable of the final judgment says that in order to possess the Kingdom it is necessary to accept the little ones. The parable of the talents directs us on what to do to make the Kingdom grow. It speaks of the gifts and the charisms which people receive from God. Every person has qualities, knows something that he/she can teach others. Nobody is just a pupil; nobody is just a teacher. We all learn from one another.
A key to understanding the parable: one of the things which has greater influence on the life of the people is the idea which we have of God. Among the Jews who followed the Pharisees, some imagined that God was a severe judge, who treated people according to the merit they had gained through the observance of the Law. That produced fear in the people and prevented them from growing. It especially prevented them from opening a space within them, to receive and accept the new experience of God which Jesus communicated. In order to help these people, Matthew tells the story of the talents.
• Matthew 25:14-15: The door of entrance in the parable. Jesus tells the story of a man who, before going abroad, entrusted his goods to his servants, giving them five, two and one talent, according to the capacity of each one. One talent was equal to 34 kg. of gold, which is not something small! Basically, each one receives the same amount, because he receives “according to his capacity.” Anyone who has a big cup, receives a full cup. The man went on his journey abroad, where he remained for a long time. The story produces a certain moment of suspense. One does not know for what purpose the man entrusts his money to the servants; neither does one know the end.
• Matthew 25:16-18: The way of acting of each one of the servants. The first two servants worked and made the money produce a double amount. But the one who received one talent buried it so as not to lose it. It is a question of the goods of the Kingdom, which are given to people and to the communities according to their capacity. Everyone receives some good of the Kingdom, but not all respond in the same way!
• Matthew 25:19-23: Rendering an account of the first and the second servants, and response of the master. After a long time, the man returned. The first two servants say the same thing: “Sir, you entrusted me with five/two talents, here are five/two more that I have made.” And the master gives the same response: “Well done, good and trustworthy servant, you have shown you are trustworthy in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”
• Matthew 25:24-25: Rendering of account of the third servant. The third servant comes and says, “Sir, I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you had not sown and gathering where you had not scattered, so I was afraid and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is!” In this phrase we have a mistaken idea of God, which is criticized by Jesus. The servant considers God as a severe master. Before such a God, the human being is afraid and hides behind the exact and narrow-minded observance of the Law. The person thinks that acting in this way, the severity of the legislator will not punish him. In reality, such a person has a flawed view of God, and believes only in self and in the observance of the Law. This person closes up in self, separates herself from God and cannot be concerned about others. This person becomes incapable of growing and developing as a free person. This false image of God isolates the human being, kills the community, puts an end to joy and impoverishes life.
• Matthew 25:26-27: The response of the Master to the third servant. The response of the master is ironic. He says, “Wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered; you should have deposited my money with the bankers and on my return I would have got my money back with interest!” The third servant was not consistent with the severe image which he had of God. If he imagined that God was severe, he should have, at least, placed the money in the bank. Then, he is condemned not by God but by the mistaken idea that he had of God and which makes him more immature and fearful than what he should have been. It was not possible for him to be consistent with the erroneous image which he had of God, because fear dehumanized and paralyzed life.
• Matthew 25:28-30: The last word of the Lord, which clarifies the parable. The master orders that the talent be taken from him and given to the man who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what he has.” This is the key which clarifies everything. In reality, the talents, the “money of the master,” the goods of the Kingdom, are love, service, sharing. It is everything which helps the community to grow and reveals the presence of God. Anyone who closes himself in self out of fear of losing the little that he has, at the end will lose even the little that he has. But the person who does not think of self, and gives herself to others, grows and receives in turn, in an unexpected way, everything which she has given and even more. Anyone who loses his life will find it, and anyone who has the courage to lose his life will find it.”
• The different money of the Kingdom. There is no difference between those who have received more and those who have received less. All have their gift according to their capacity. What is important is that this gift be placed at the service of the Kingdom and make the goods of the Kingdom grow. These gifts are love, fraternal spirit, sharing. The principal key of the parable does not consist in making the talents render something, but rather in relating to God in a correct way. The two first servants ask for nothing; they do not seek their own good; they do not want things for themselves; they do not close up in self; they do not calculate. In the most natural way, almost without being aware and without seeking their own merit, they begin to work, in such a way that the gift received from God may produce for God and for the Kingdom. The third servant is afraid, and because of this does nothing. According to the norms of the ancient law, he acts correctly. He fulfills the requirements. He loses nothing and gains nothing. And because of this he loses even what he had. The Kingdom is a risk. Anyone who does not want to run risks will lose the Kingdom!
4) Personal questions
• In our community, do we try to know and value the gifts of each person? Is our community a place where people are able to make known their talents and make them available to others? Sometimes, the gifts of some generate envy and competitiveness in others. How do we react?
• How is the following statement to be understood: “For anyone who has will be given more; but anyone who does not have will be taken away even what he has”?
5) Concluding Prayer
We are waiting for Yahweh;
He is our help and our shield,
for in Him our heart rejoices,
in His holy name we trust. (Ps 33:20-21)
