1 Prv 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.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
R. (cf. 1a) Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Reading 2 1 Thes 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 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.'”
Catholic Fundamentalism Interpretation:
When a male human program finds a female human program who follows the Operating Instructions, he has found someone worth more than earthly riches (because he has an opportunity to download his, and her, program through time).
(If she follows the Operating Instructions, she makes his life better, working to program a brighter future for both of them.
She does her duty in supplying current needs, and helps the poor and unfortunate.
Don’t be fooled by charm or outward appearances. They are deceptive and fleeting.
The woman who understands the consequences of disobeying The Loving Programmer is to be praised. Reward her for her labors, let her sons become so important that they deal at the city gates, praising her by their activities.
Blessed are those who fear the consequences of disobeying The Loving Programmer’s Operating Instructions.
Blessed are you human programs who obey The Operating Instructions. Obedience lets your programs sustain themselves and He will provide you Programming Assistance.
Blessed are those who fear the consequences of disobeying The Loving Programmer’s Operating Instructions.
They will be able to duplicate their programs and launch them into future human programs, bringing great joy.
Blessed are those who fear the consequences of disobeying The Loving Programmer’s Operating Instructions.
The man who obeys The Operating Instructions will have prosperity and his programs will go through time.
Blessed are those who fear the consequences of disobeying The Loving Programmer’s Operating Instructions.
The days of your lives, fellow believers, don’t need any explanation. You (only need to) know that the Lord’s Coming will be unpredictable.
When people are worshipping the false idols, then things fall apart. Just as a pregnant woman will have labor pains (don’t we wish that was true today), the disasters that fall on them are inescapable.
But, fellow believers, you don’t live in (that) darkness, so that separation of your soul from your body won’t be unexpected. And, you will be ready for it. We are not of a world ruled by clocks and calendars.
So, don’t let us close our eyes to You, as those who will be lost do. Instead, let us stay alert and sober.
Jesus, The Program, Who took perfect, obedient, human form and came among us, tells those who chose to follow Him this parable:
“The Loving Programmer decided to let the Earth Program run by itself. He gave valuable assets to each of billions of people, and apportioned them according to his or her ability. To the smartest among the human programs, He gave powerful analytical abilities. Some were given less, but all got something before He left.
Those with the most ability used it to make himself rich with children, wealth, and property. So did the others who recognized their responsibility to work hard.
But, those who received little didn’t do much. They lost their ability from disuse.
Then, “the books were opened”. The servants’ accounts were examined to see what they’d made of their gifts. The most successful were given greater responsibilities, positions, and the rewards that went with them.
‘You were faithful in small, human things. So, you will be able to handle greater responsibilities. Share in My joy at your success.
Then, those who had lesser abilities were judged. Before God could say anything, they made this excuse: “Master, I knew you were a demanding taskmaster. You took what You did not have. I was so afraid of having You punish me for failure that I didn’t use any of my abilities to increase my wealth or Yours. You may have my abilities back.”
The Loving Programmer, Who’d gone to a lot of trouble writing and downloading even the laziest peoples’ programs, was furious. ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So, you knew that I was a demanding taskmaster, taking what I did not produce? Shouldn’t you at least have put My money in the bank so that I could have gotten it back with interest? Now (He told His servants), take what he has from him and give it to the most able of my servants.
‘(It’s part of The Program that) Everyone who has will be given more, and will grow rich. But, from the one who lacks the will to use his abilities will have everything taken away. And, throw this useless servant into the darkness outside (My Presence), where there is complaining and grinding of teeth.'”
