Memorial of Saint Ceilia, virgin and martyr

Memorial of Saint Ceilia, virgin and martyr

Biographical Information about St. Ceilia
Readings for Wednesday

Commentary;

Reading 1 Rev 4:1-11

We are given the whole of Chapter 4 of John’s Revelation to consider. First we see the heavenly court in worship. The twenty four elders would represent the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 Apostles. Much of what is described here is taken from the apocalyptic literature in the old testament, specifically Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:22-26), Tobit (Tobit 12:15), and Isaiah (Isaiah 6:2). The special effects, Flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder are representations of God’s activity. The addition of the eyes to the 4 living creatures represents God’s omnipresent vision and concern for mankind. The principle focus of this chapter, in addition to providing imagery of the heavenly court is to give us a sense of God’s majesty and omnipotence.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!

This psalm serves a doxology for the 5th book of Psalms. The refrain we are given has its roots in the ancient Hebrew in that there was no word for “Holier” or “Holiest”. When that thought was to be expressed, the word was repeated the appropriate number of times. The sound of Crashing cymbals in this case reminds us of the rumblings and peals of thunder in Revelation, God’s work and presence on earth.

Gospel Lk 19:11-28

We have here Luke’s version of the Parable of the Talents. He combines it with the story of the King who is rejected so it has a little different flavor. The gold coins here represent the gifts God has given us. The king’s return is meant to symbolize his final return in judgment. His reaction to each of the servants indicates the Lord’s expectation that the gifts he gives us are expected to be used, and used for his greater glory. We are not to hide them, in doing so we loose them.

Reflection:

If we underlay the our scripture with the Feast of St. Ceilia, who was martyred for burying her martyred husband and brother in law in 117 AD, we get a sense that today should look distinctly at our own preparation for the coming of the Kingdom of God. That is what was expected in the Gospel and that is the picture St. John painted in his Revelation.

What is instructive here is the placement of the Parable of the Talents (Luke uses coins or “minahs”, it’s less expensive that way) that focus us on our own discernment or what our gifts are and how we are using them.

It is good timing as we approach the Advent season to think about what we have been given and especially good in the United States of America as we sit at the vigil of the Thanksgiving holiday. How fortunate we are to have been given the freedom to worship our God and to apply the gifts we have been given to His greater glory.

Let us take some time over the next day or so to evaluate what it is that God gave us. Not just the material things we have been able to accumulate because of the industry or intelligence with which he endowed us, but the application of that industry and intelligence. Have we done what we do for His glory or our own? Have we presented the successes we have had as attributable to Him or our ourselves?

One element of the Gospel today cannot be overlooked as we evaluate our gifts and their application. That is; have we wrapped our coin of faith in a handkerchief because we were not proud of it or have we taken that coin and put it in play to bring more to God than he gave us to begin with? That is a hard question, but one the parable begs us to ask ourselves. St. Ceilia answered it and died. And if our answer is no, what shall we do about it?

Pax