Saturday, November 4 : Saint Jerome
There is no question but that this householder is Christ. After his resurrection, when he was about to return triumphantly to the Father, he called his apostles and entrusted them with the Gospel teaching, giving more to one, less to the other, never too much or too little but according to the abilities of those who received it. In the same way the apostle Paul said that he had fed with milk those unable to take solid food (1Co 3,2)… Five, two, one talent: let us take these to be the different graces granted to each, whether the five senses for the first; understanding of faith and works for the second; the reasons for distinguishing us from other creatures for the third. “The one who received five talents went away and traded with them and made another five.” That is to say, besides the physical and material senses he had received he added knowledge of heavenly things. His knowledge was raised from the creatures to the Creator, from the corporal to the incorporeal, from the visible to the invisible, from the transient to the eternal. “The one who received two made another two.” This one likewise, according to his ability, doubled in the school of the Gospel what he had learned in the school of the Law. Or perhaps we could say that he understood that knowledge of faith and the works of this present life lead to future happiness. “But the man who received one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.” In the grip of works here below and of worldly pleasures the wicked servant neglected God’s commands. However, let us note that, according to another evangelist, he wrapped it in a linen cloth: by this we could understand that he took away the force of his master’s teaching by a life of softness and pleasure… The master welcomed the first two servants… with the same words of praise. “Come,” he said, “share in your master’s joy and receive what eye has not seen and ear has not heard and what has not entered the human heart” (1Cor 2,9). What greater reward could be bestowed on a faithful servant?
Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team
