THE GOSPEL ACCORDING
TO MATTHEW
CHAPTER
25
1. "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verse 1)
Oh God my Father many of us come to meet You especially during mass on Saturdays. With us, we all bring our lamps of faith. However, we may all come to meet You for different reasons. Some may come to give You praise and worship, others may come because they have been used to come since childhood, and maybe others come because they do not wish people to judge them for not coming. Among these groups there may also be those who may use You as a good luck charm, as in coming to mass before a World Cup final So that Malta will win the World Cup, or maybe before going on to a long trip to the other side of the world, so that I will arrive there safely, or maybe before embarking on an important business deal or transaction so that it will be a success. On reflecting, we all come to meet You for different reasons. Now is the time oh God for us to stop think and consider in which group or category we may happen to fit in and plead forgiveness if our intentions for meeting You are not always for praise and worship in heart and spirit. Amen.
2. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4. but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 2 and 3)
Oh God the foolish can be compared to such people who have a lamp as in the case of all baptised people in the Roman Catholic Church and other churches, however such people have no oil in their lamps because the oil that they had was the tuition that they had received from catechism classes if they ever attended. They have no relationship or 'oil' in their lamps and this takes some time to develop as in the allegory of the oil that is pumped out of the ground by oil wells.
5. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept,
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verse 5)
In our Christian life, we may also fall into the temptation of falling asleep. A situation that seems pathetic may drain us out of our stores of spiritual energy, we may feel so drowsy and tired that even praying for change may appear to be useless in our tired vision. However at the time, when all seems to be lost You always intervene and apply the finishing touches and brighten up the situation for some or for all, or You may even choose to leave the situation as it is but, give us the skills, faith and strength to cope with the situation or crisis. Thank You, Jesus, for always being available to offer us Your love care and support. Amen.
6. But at midnight there was a shout, 'Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7. Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 6 to 7)
Oh God at the time of Your second and final visit, as in the case of the bridesmaids we will all rise up with our lamps, however, do we have any oil in them. Who do we really believe in You, or ourselves. According to which spirit do we behave, our spirit that is human nature or according to the power of the Holy Spirit, which we can go against due to our disobedience?
8. The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9. But the wise replied, 'No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.'
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 8 to 9)
When in a crisis, those of us who do not believe in You, or place their trust in You place a lot of stress on those who believe and trust in You, thus making pressure on believers, to offer prayers on their behalf because as 'good people' their prayers will surely be answered. However although interceding on others behalf is an act of love and charity, it is better for such individuals to seek spiritual guidance in order to turn away from their ways and seek a better way of living. The old saying says that it is better to teach a person how to catch a fish than to give him one, for once the person has acquired the skill he can use it for life.
10. And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet and the door was shut. 11. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' 12. But he replied, Truly I tell you, I do not know you.' 13. Keep awake therefore. for you know neither the day nor the hour.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 10 to 13)
Oh God, it is very important that we are well prepared and take our spiritual life seriously, and not just to be familiar with Your teachings just for the sake of knowing Your message by heart as in catechism. I pray for all to be prepared so that we shall be ready t to face both our tribulations and ultimately our personal day of judgement when we will give an account to You for all the good and not so good actions that we did during our life on earth.
14. "For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them;
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verse 14)
Oh God my Father when You entrusted us with the gift of life You gave us a big responsibility and a long journey to embark on. Every day of our life we are walking on the pathway of life. I thank You for giving me this responsibility to embark on this journey that ends on the mount of Calvary at the point of the end of my life, where my soul returns back to You my God and Father.
15. to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verse 15)
Oh God, I thank You for all the different talents that You give us, not only for ourselves but to share in service with others. You never waste Your talents, therefore, if we have a talent it is because God considered it to be to the best of our ability and not simply for us to have a hobby or pass time.
16. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17. In the same way, the one who had two talents made two more talents. 18. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 16 to 18)
Oh God my Father, I thank You for the many talents that You give us, there are some of us, who are great speakers, preachers, craftspeople, green fingers, computer wizards, people who understand and interpret the Word of God, prophets, doctors and even more. However, there are others who although have received the talent according to their ability do not have the confidence to use that talent, both for themselves and even in their everyday life with others. My daughter happens to be such a person. I pray to You my Father for such people, for they suffer greatly in this world of super achievers, but are greatly loved by You which is the most important thing of all. Amen.
19. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verse 19)
Oh God on a day that we know not when it arrives, we will also need to render accounts with You. I pray that our accounts will be in credit full of wonderful acts of love and charity instead of in debt overloaded with our shortcomings. I invite all my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ to stop, reflect and make an audit of our lives and settle the outstanding balance Amen.
I, therefore, invite you all to click on this link which helps us make a spiritual audit of our lives please click on the following link:-
Spiritual Audit
19. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me five talents; see I have made five more talents.' 21. His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 19 to 21)
I can only imagine oh God my Father if those talents were human souls, the joy in heaven would be greater. You also gave us a number of talents which could be the souls of our family members, friends and even co-workers, or even people whom You would like to save by using us as an instrument. Amen. I can only imagine Your face when You see us in heaven with a chain of people tied to us, ranging from those of our closest circles to many more!
22. And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me two talents; see I have made two more talents.' 23. His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 22 to 23)
Oh, Jesus even though we may not be as talented, or skilled as much as others we still can serve, You and proclaim Your message with our way of life and with those precious gifts that You gave us which among many are the gifts of love, faith and forgiveness and relationship in the Holy Spirit. Amen.
24. Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25. so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 24 to 25)
Oh God when You give Your talents You give them according to our abilities. When giving the single talent to the servant, You were aware that he could only cope with that single task, however for some reason at times we do not believe in ourselves and choose not to make
26. But his master replied, 'You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27. Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 26 to 27)
Oh God, my Father it is as if You are telling us why do you waste the time I lent You on earth in doing trivial things that go against my will instead of investing in those areas where we can grow and benefit spiritually instead of only on a material level.
28. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with ten talents. 29. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,'
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 28 to 30)
Oh God if there is one thing that You do not like is a waste of talents or gifts that You give us. I thank You God for all the gifts that You have given me, this blog, computer skills and many others, but that which I thank You for is our relationship of love Amen.
31. "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33. and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35. for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36. I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' 37. Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38. And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39. And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' 40. And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 31 to 40)
Oh, my God and Father in Your eyes none of our acts are a waste of time. Even the tiniest good deed will not go unnoticed by You. Even though we may consider our day to day acts as being insignificant especially when compared to that of holy people, or missionaries or martyrs and saints, we are to rest assured that even our simple acts are of great value in God's eyes. On reflecting the tasks that You mentioned my God need not a high or extraordinary, level of intelligence to be achieved. They are so simple that even a child can do them. Our God is aware of our skills and shortcomings and does not expect us to perform superhuman efforts. Amen.
41. Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42. for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43. I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44. Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' 45. Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 46. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 41 to 45)
Oh, Jesus, You love us so much that You gave us a checklist of good deeds to follow. On reflecting oh God we can add to this long list which becomes never ending. I pray that we never miss out in being a helping hand towards others, because when doing so we are being of help to You my God. Amen
Oh Jesus Son of God and also God, I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-
I would like to thank You for all the talents gifts and skills that You give us each according to our ability. I also thank You for our brains a perfect machine that can be used in order to perform all that You will it to do and be in Your name. I pray oh Jesus that we use these gifts to help others and not keep them for ourselves. I also pray that we become more like You and make no discrimination when being of help to other. Give us a strong sense of generosity and a strong will of being humble and of service to others especially during moments of need. Amen .
Thank You, Jesus
2. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4. but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 2 and 3)
Oh God the foolish can be compared to such people who have a lamp as in the case of all baptised people in the Roman Catholic Church and other churches, however such people have no oil in their lamps because the oil that they had was the tuition that they had received from catechism classes if they ever attended. They have no relationship or 'oil' in their lamps and this takes some time to develop as in the allegory of the oil that is pumped out of the ground by oil wells.
5. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept,
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verse 5)
In our Christian life, we may also fall into the temptation of falling asleep. A situation that seems pathetic may drain us out of our stores of spiritual energy, we may feel so drowsy and tired that even praying for change may appear to be useless in our tired vision. However at the time, when all seems to be lost You always intervene and apply the finishing touches and brighten up the situation for some or for all, or You may even choose to leave the situation as it is but, give us the skills, faith and strength to cope with the situation or crisis. Thank You, Jesus, for always being available to offer us Your love care and support. Amen.
6. But at midnight there was a shout, 'Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7. Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 6 to 7)
Oh God at the time of Your second and final visit, as in the case of the bridesmaids we will all rise up with our lamps, however, do we have any oil in them. Who do we really believe in You, or ourselves. According to which spirit do we behave, our spirit that is human nature or according to the power of the Holy Spirit, which we can go against due to our disobedience?
8. The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9. But the wise replied, 'No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.'
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 8 to 9)
When in a crisis, those of us who do not believe in You, or place their trust in You place a lot of stress on those who believe and trust in You, thus making pressure on believers, to offer prayers on their behalf because as 'good people' their prayers will surely be answered. However although interceding on others behalf is an act of love and charity, it is better for such individuals to seek spiritual guidance in order to turn away from their ways and seek a better way of living. The old saying says that it is better to teach a person how to catch a fish than to give him one, for once the person has acquired the skill he can use it for life.
10. And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet and the door was shut. 11. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' 12. But he replied, Truly I tell you, I do not know you.' 13. Keep awake therefore. for you know neither the day nor the hour.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 10 to 13)
Oh God, it is very important that we are well prepared and take our spiritual life seriously, and not just to be familiar with Your teachings just for the sake of knowing Your message by heart as in catechism. I pray for all to be prepared so that we shall be ready t to face both our tribulations and ultimately our personal day of judgement when we will give an account to You for all the good and not so good actions that we did during our life on earth.
14. "For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them;
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verse 14)
Oh God my Father when You entrusted us with the gift of life You gave us a big responsibility and a long journey to embark on. Every day of our life we are walking on the pathway of life. I thank You for giving me this responsibility to embark on this journey that ends on the mount of Calvary at the point of the end of my life, where my soul returns back to You my God and Father.
15. to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verse 15)
Oh God, I thank You for all the different talents that You give us, not only for ourselves but to share in service with others. You never waste Your talents, therefore, if we have a talent it is because God considered it to be to the best of our ability and not simply for us to have a hobby or pass time.
16. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17. In the same way, the one who had two talents made two more talents. 18. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 16 to 18)
Oh God my Father, I thank You for the many talents that You give us, there are some of us, who are great speakers, preachers, craftspeople, green fingers, computer wizards, people who understand and interpret the Word of God, prophets, doctors and even more. However, there are others who although have received the talent according to their ability do not have the confidence to use that talent, both for themselves and even in their everyday life with others. My daughter happens to be such a person. I pray to You my Father for such people, for they suffer greatly in this world of super achievers, but are greatly loved by You which is the most important thing of all. Amen.
19. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verse 19)
Oh God on a day that we know not when it arrives, we will also need to render accounts with You. I pray that our accounts will be in credit full of wonderful acts of love and charity instead of in debt overloaded with our shortcomings. I invite all my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ to stop, reflect and make an audit of our lives and settle the outstanding balance Amen.
I, therefore, invite you all to click on this link which helps us make a spiritual audit of our lives please click on the following link:-
Spiritual Audit
19. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me five talents; see I have made five more talents.' 21. His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 19 to 21)
I can only imagine oh God my Father if those talents were human souls, the joy in heaven would be greater. You also gave us a number of talents which could be the souls of our family members, friends and even co-workers, or even people whom You would like to save by using us as an instrument. Amen. I can only imagine Your face when You see us in heaven with a chain of people tied to us, ranging from those of our closest circles to many more!
22. And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me two talents; see I have made two more talents.' 23. His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 22 to 23)
Oh, Jesus even though we may not be as talented, or skilled as much as others we still can serve, You and proclaim Your message with our way of life and with those precious gifts that You gave us which among many are the gifts of love, faith and forgiveness and relationship in the Holy Spirit. Amen.
24. Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25. so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 24 to 25)
Oh God when You give Your talents You give them according to our abilities. When giving the single talent to the servant, You were aware that he could only cope with that single task, however for some reason at times we do not believe in ourselves and choose not to make
26. But his master replied, 'You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27. Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest.
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 26 to 27)
Oh God, my Father it is as if You are telling us why do you waste the time I lent You on earth in doing trivial things that go against my will instead of investing in those areas where we can grow and benefit spiritually instead of only on a material level.
28. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with ten talents. 29. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,'
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 28 to 30)
Oh God if there is one thing that You do not like is a waste of talents or gifts that You give us. I thank You God for all the gifts that You have given me, this blog, computer skills and many others, but that which I thank You for is our relationship of love Amen.
31. "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33. and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35. for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36. I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' 37. Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38. And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39. And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' 40. And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 31 to 40)
Oh, my God and Father in Your eyes none of our acts are a waste of time. Even the tiniest good deed will not go unnoticed by You. Even though we may consider our day to day acts as being insignificant especially when compared to that of holy people, or missionaries or martyrs and saints, we are to rest assured that even our simple acts are of great value in God's eyes. On reflecting the tasks that You mentioned my God need not a high or extraordinary, level of intelligence to be achieved. They are so simple that even a child can do them. Our God is aware of our skills and shortcomings and does not expect us to perform superhuman efforts. Amen.
41. Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42. for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43. I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44. Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' 45. Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 46. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
(Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 verses 41 to 45)
Oh, Jesus, You love us so much that You gave us a checklist of good deeds to follow. On reflecting oh God we can add to this long list which becomes never ending. I pray that we never miss out in being a helping hand towards others, because when doing so we are being of help to You my God. Amen
Oh Jesus Son of God and also God, I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-
I would like to thank You for all the talents gifts and skills that You give us each according to our ability. I also thank You for our brains a perfect machine that can be used in order to perform all that You will it to do and be in Your name. I pray oh Jesus that we use these gifts to help others and not keep them for ourselves. I also pray that we become more like You and make no discrimination when being of help to other. Give us a strong sense of generosity and a strong will of being humble and of service to others especially during moments of need. Amen .
Thank You, Jesus
