2 Maccabees 7:1,20-31
Luke 19:11-28
ST. CECILIA
Today is the memorial of St. Cecilia, One thing about Cecilia is that she lived a life of gratitude and generosity. As a way of thanking God, She gave her life to sacred music. She also consecrated her virginity in thanksgiving to God yet her parents compelled her to marry a nobleman named Valerian whom she converted to the faith and his brother Tiburtius. The men first suffered martyrdom beheaded for their faith. Afterward, St . Cecilia also finished her glorious race in triumph some days after them through Holy martyrdom.
In today’s first reading, we were startled by the words of a mother to her youngest son before he was killed. Do not fear this executioner…prove yourself worthy of your brothers…embrace death! She was a mother who experienced the martyrdom of her seven sons in one day. She said this for the sake of God’s kingdom and her religion She believed in the living God and impacted the faith of her fathers into her sons and that is the reason why they were persecuted.
Never such love, never such death. It was a desperate duel, but love bore the palm. What then, our heart? How well is our soul? Have we no passion excited within us at the contemplation of such heavenly affection? Yes, we ought to…The Lord longs to feel the love flaming like a furnace within us. Every drop of crimson blood Christ shed to make us live is precious and priceless.
O wherefore have I a thousand lives to give?” Why should I despair of loving Jesus with a love as strong as death? He deserves it: I desire it. The martyrs felt such love, and they were but flesh and blood, then why not I?
Why do some mothers fail to impact the tender hearts of their young ones with fortitude, compassion, and truth but rather hatred, miseducation, and dissension? The righteous will receive their reward if not in this life but in the world to come.
Today’s gospel of the parable of the talents is a reminder to us that we all have talents but that we will not fully realize those gifts unless we try. We must use our gifts to the best of our ability for the sake of the kingdom of God. In the gospel parable, the talents refer to a large sum of money. But we can also take it to mean the intangible potential within us. Those who carried out their responsibilities were rewarded whereas those who neglected or squandered what God had entrusted to them lost what they had.
The thing is, are you industrious and reliable in the responsibility that God has given to you? Do you use your talents well according to how God wants you to make use of them? Think about your everyday living; do you make use of the time, energy, talents, wealth, etc. to serve God? Do you thank God for the skills, talents and favors God has given to you?
St. Paul says, ‘For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. 2Tim1:6-7. We need the grace of God and the help of other people to realize who we are and what we can do for the good of others.
May we continue to stand for the truth and realize who we truly are through the intercession of St. Cecilia. Amen.
Fr Joseph Osho
