Daily Bible Reading

Source: Vaticannews.va

READING OF THE DAY

A reading from the Book of Proverbs
31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31

When one finds a worthy wife,
her value is far beyond pearls.
Her husband, entrusting his heart to her,
has an unfailing prize.
She brings him good, and not evil,
all the days of her life.
She obtains wool and flax
and works with loving hands.
She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her fingers ply the spindle.
She reaches out her hands to the poor,
and extends her arms to the needy.
Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;
the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her a reward for her labors,
and let her works praise her at the city gates.

A reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to Thessalonians 
5:1-6

Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters,
you have no need for anything to be written to you. 
For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come
like a thief at night.
When people are saying, “Peace and security, “
then sudden disaster comes upon them,
like labor pains upon a pregnant woman,
and they will not escape.

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness,
for that day to overtake you like a thief. 
For all of you are children of the light
and children of the day.
We are not of the night or of darkness. 
Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do,
but let us stay alert and sober.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to 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.’”

THE WORDS OF THE POPES

Looking at this parable, we can learn two different ways  of approaching God. The first way is that of the one who buries the talent he has received, who cannot see the riches God gave him: he trusts neither his master nor himself(…). Let us next look at the second way, with the other two protagonists, who repay their master’s trust by in turn trusting in him. These two invest everything they  received, even though they do not know at the outset if everything will go well: they study, they see the possibilities, and prudently seek out the best. They accept the risk of putting themselves on the line. They trust, they study and they risk. They thus have the courage to act freely, creatively, generating new wealth (cf. vv. 20-23). Brothers and sisters, this is the crossroads we face with God: fear or trust. Either you are afraid before God, or you trust in the Lord. And we, like the protagonists of the parable — all of us — have received talents — all of us — far more precious than money. But much of how we invest them depends on our trust in the Lord, which frees our hearts and makes us active and creative in goodness. Do not forget this: trust frees, always; fear paralyses. Let us remember: fear paralyses.(…) And may the Virgin Mary help us  to overcome fear — never be afraid of God! Awe, yes; fear, no — and to trust the Lord. (Pope Francis, Angelus 19 November 2023)