Pope’s Angelus: let’s use the inheritance that God has given us to do good



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At the time of the Angelus’ prayer, on the occasion of the World Day of the Poor, the Holy Father Francis reflected on the parable of the talents and encouraged us to use the gifts that God has given to each of us, “heritage”, to do “good in this life, as a service to God and to our brothers”.

Sofia Lobos – Vatican City

After celebrating Mass on the occasion of World Day of the Poor on Sunday, November 15, in the Basilica of San Padro, Pope Francis prayed with the Angelus Marian leaning out of the window of the Vatican Apostolic Palace.

Commenting on today’s Gospel, Francis reflected on the parable of the talents, (cf. Mt 25: 14-30) which “This is part of Jesus’ end times discourse, which immediately precedes his passion, death and resurrection.”

The parable of the talents

“The parable tells the story of a rich man who has to leave and, foreseeing a long absence, entrusts his goods to three of his servants,” declared the Holy Father.

“To the first he gives five talents, to the second two, to the third. Jesus specifies that the distribution is made “according to the capacity of each one” (v. 15) “, underlined the Holy Father, recalling that this is how the Lord does with us all: “He knows us well, he knows that we are not the same and he does not want to privilege anyone to the detriment of others, but rather entrusts each one with a capital according to his capacities.”

“While the captain was away, the first two servants practiced to the point of doubling the amount entrusted to them. This is not the case with the third servant, who hides his talent in a hole: to avoid danger, he leaves it there, safe from thieves, but without making it fruitful. The moment of the master’s return arrives, who calls his servants to account. The first two present the good fruits of their efforts and the teacher praises them, rewards them and invites them to share his joy. The third, however, realizing that he is at fault, immediately begins to justify himself by saying: “Lord, I know that you are a hard man, that you reap where you have not sown and that you reap where. you didn’t scatter, which I was afraid for, and I went and hid your talent in the ground; this is what is yours ”(vv. 24-25). He defends himself against his laziness by accusing his master of being “hard”. Then the master reproaches him: he calls him a “bad and lazy” servant (v. 26); makes them take away his talent and expel him from his home “

In this regard, Francis stressed that this parable is valid for everyone, but, as always, especially for Christians.

We all receive an “inheritance” from God

“We have all received from God an ‘inheritance’ as human beings – continued the Pope – first life itself, then the different physical and spiritual faculties. As disciples of Christ, we have received faith, the Gospel, the Holy Spirit, the sacraments … These gifts are to be used to do good in this life, as a service to God and to our brothers.

This is why the Holy Father recalled that at the end of our existence, in personal judgment, “God will reward with Paradise, with eternal life, those who have taken advantage of their gifts to do good”.

“If, on the contrary, I intend to ‘pretend to be intelligent’, by leaving my talents locked in a safe, I only exclude myself from the feast of God, which is the feast of love. For example: if a priest, who has received the Gospel from Christ, he never preaches, he does not catechize, he does not bring the Gospel to the sick and the poor, how can he enter into the feast of his Lord? ? But beware! Don’t judge others, let’s examine ourselves. And let’s not forget that God can save the worst of sinners “

The Pope concluded by declaring that the Virgin Mary received Jesus from God, “but she did not keep him for herself, she gave him to the world, to her people”.

“Let us learn from her the fear of the Lord, not the fear. Let us learn above all to attentive love, to place ourselves at the service of one another. So that the Lord, on his return, will find us like this, striving to give his gifts, ”he added.

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