0

Homily (Reflection) for the Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (21st November, 2018) on the Gospel and the Memorial
 
Rev 4:1-11;
Ps 150. (R. Rev 4:8);
Lk 19:11-28.

Mary’s presentation was celebrated in Jerusalem in the sixth century. The Eastern Church was more interested in the feast, but it does appear in the West in the 11th century. Although the feast at times disappeared from the calendar, in the 16th century it became a feast of the universal Church. As with Mary’s birth, we read of Mary’s presentation in the temple only in apocryphal literature. In what is recognized as an unhistorical account, the Protoevangelium of James we read that Anna and Joachim offered Mary to God in the Temple when she was 3 years old. This was to carry out a promise made to God when Anna was still childless.[1]
Topic: That third slave.
Jesus told His listeners a parable in which a nobleman before going to a distant country to get royal power for himself shared ten pounds to his slaves for business. On his return, the first slave came with extra ten pounds. The second also came with more five pounds. These were praised and given ten cities and five cities respectively to rule as rewards. However, the third slave came forward and reported,
Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.
His sentence went thus,
Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds.... I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.
A good number of people like the third slave do not invest their talents/gifts for various reasons especially for the fear of the unknown. Just like the slaves in today’s gospel, each and every one of us must give account of every single talent/gift we have been blessed with. And just like in the case of the third slave, fear is not and can never be an excuse.
The memorial of the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary ought to reawaken in us the necessity to invest all our talents wisely. Anything short of this is failure.
Bible Reading: Rom 2:1-16.
Thought for today: Every gift must be accounted for.
Let us pray: Lord, help us to realise all you have blessed us with and to put them into good use – Amen.
You are free to share this reflection with others if you consider it worthy.

For more homilies (reflections):

Visit our website: www.thepulpitonline.com
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thepulpitonline
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thepulpitonline
Join our WhatsApp Group via: +234 810 298 6313
Send us Email: thepulpitonline@gmail.com

 
To Contact and/or to support this ministry:

Tel: +234 813 305 0302
       Email: thepulpitonline@gmail.com

May God bless you all+

Post a Comment

 
Top