SATURday

28

August

St. Augustine of Hippo

(354 – 430)

White

He was born in Thagaste in Africa of a Berber family. He had a brilliant legal and academic career. At length, through the prayers of his mother, and the teaching of St. Ambrose of Milan, he was converted back to Christianity. He wrote an enormous number of works. He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Boniface VIII in 1308.

Entrance Antiphon:  Sir 15: 5

In the midst of the Church he opened his mouth, and the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding and clothed him in a robe of glory.

Collect

Renew in your Church, we pray, O Lord, the spirit with which you endowed your Bishop Saint Augustine that, filled with the same spirit, we may thirst for you, the sole fount of true wisdom, and seek you, the author of heavenly love. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

First reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-11

As for loving our brothers, there is no need for anyone to write to you about that, since you have learnt from God yourselves to love one another, and in fact this is what you are doing with all the brothers throughout the whole of Macedonia. However, we do urge you, brothers, to go on making even greater progress and to make a point of living quietly, attending to your own business and earning your living, just as we told you to.

Psalm 97 (98):1, 7-9

R/     The Lord comes to rule the people with fairness.

1.     Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation.

2. Let the sea and all within it, thunder; the world, and all its peoples. Let the rivers clap their hands and the hills ring out their joy.

3.     At the presence of the Lord: for he comes, he comes to rule the earth. He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with fairness.

Gospel Acclamation: Ph 2:15-16

Alleluia, alleluia! You will shine in the world like bright stars because you are offering it the word of life.Alleluia!

Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30+

Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of Heaven is like a man on his way abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out. The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now a long time after, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. “Sir,” he said, “you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made.” ‘His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.” Next the man with the two talents came forward. “Sir,” he said, “you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.” Last came forward the man who had the one talent. “Sir,” said he, “I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have recovered my capital with interest. So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the five talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”’

Prayer over the Offerings

Celebrating the memorial of our salvation, we humbly beseech your mercy, O Lord, that this Sacrament of your loving kindness may be for us the sign of unity and the bond of charity. Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon: Mt 23: 10, 8

Thus says the Lord: You have but one teacher, the Christ, and you are all brothers.

Prayer after Communion

May partaking of Christ’s table sanctify us, we pray, O Lord, that, being made members of his Body, we may become what we have received. Through Christ our Lord.

Meditation

Today’s Gospel parable speaks of the Master’s trust in his servants. While going away he leaves his money with his servants to use as they think best. While there are no strings attached, the master obviously tests to see if his workers would be industrious and reliable in their use of the money entrusted to them. The master rewards those who are industrious and faithful and punishes those who sit by idly and do nothing with his money. The parable’s essence lies in the servants’ conception of responsibility. Each servant entrusted with the master’s money is faithful up to a certain point. However, the servant who buries his master’s money is irresponsible. In Christian living no one can stand still for long. We either get more or we lose what we have. We either advance towards God or we slip back into evil.