August 28, 2021

Readings for the Memorial of Saint Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Lectionary: 430

Reading I

1 Thes 4:9-11

Brothers and sisters:
On the subject of fraternal charity
you have no need for anyone to write you,
for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
Indeed, you do this for all the brothers throughout Macedonia.
Nevertheless we urge you, brothers and sisters, to progress even more,
and to aspire to live a tranquil life,
to mind your own affairs,
and to work with your own hands,
as we instructed you.

Responsorial Psalm

98:1, 7-8, 9

1.  (9) The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
   Sing to the LORD a new song,
       for he has done wondrous deeds;
   His right hand has won victory for him,
       his holy arm.
   R.    The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
   Let the sea and what fills it resound,
       the world and those who dwell in it;
   Let the rivers clap their hands,
       the mountains shout with them for joy.
   R.    The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
   Before the LORD, for he comes,
       for he comes to rule the earth;
   He will rule the world with justice
       and the peoples with equity.
   R.    The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.

Alleluia

Jn 13:34

1. Alleluia, alleluia.
   I give you a new commandment:
   love one another as I have loved you.
   R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 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.’”

Reflection: THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD

He was born in Tagaste in modern day Algeria on November 13, 354. He studied pagan classics but rejected the Scriptures, considering them too demanding and uncultured. In 371, he moved to Carthage, where he accepted the Manichean teaching of a double principle, one of good and another of evil. In spite of the concessions to indulgence of the flesh permitted by that doctrine, Augustine finally became a skeptic. He travelled to Rome, where he became ill. By the year 384, he was a teacher of rhetoric in Milan and was reunited with his mother, Monica. Hearing St Ambrose explain Scripture, Augustine was captivated. At the age of 32, while shedding tears of anguish, he seemed to hear a child sing: “Take and read”. He opened the words of the Bible at random and read the words of St. Paul: “Let us live honorably as in daylight, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual excesses and lust, not in quarreling and jealousy. Rather, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the desires of the flesh” (Romans 13:13-14). He told his mother of what had happened, and he made preparations to be baptized by Bishop Ambrose. He went into seclusion, where he composed some works against the teaching of the Manicheans. After the death of his mother at Ostia, Augustine returned to Africa in 388. Three years later he was ordained a priest at Hippo, and in 395 was ordained a Bishop. For thirty-five years he preached in the Cathedral, administered the affairs of the church, answered letters and defended the faith against heretics. As Bishop he lived in community with some of his clergy. He wrote some of his major works like the Confessions, Christian Doctrine, the City of God, and a treatise on the Trinity. He died at the age of seventy-six on August 28, 430, when the Vandals were at the gates of the city of Hippo. Augustine was searching for the truth all his life. All his study, teaching and writings were a constant search. As the slave who received five talents went and traded with them to make another five talents, so also Augustine put all his talents at the service of the Lord and the Church. He calls truth "the light of my heart”. He makes another beautiful expression: “Late have I loved you, O beauty, ever ancient, ever new; late have I loved you”. He in fact says: “Our hearts are restless till they rest in thee O Lord”.