by Rev. Deacon Lawrence A. St. Onge

The theme in both of today’s readings contrasts loyalty to God with loyalty to kings and people, or if you will, society and civil authority.

In the 1^st reading we hear the story of the a woman who watches six of her seven sons be tortured and put to death because they refused to violate God’s law, one that pertained to the Kosher laws of not eating pork, which does not seem to be that big of a deal. The authorities then try and persuade the mother to get her youngest son to give in, with promises of riches and honor and so forth, if he does so. Instead, she encourages her son to remain loyal and steadfast to God’s law even though it means death, for she says to him, death is not the end, but only the beginning for those who remain faithful.

In contrast to this steadfast loyalty, in our society today, the politically correct thing to do is to "compromise," make accommodation to the modern world," and "live and let live," casting aside the truth of the Gospel of Christ. This was again made evident by yesterday’s ruling by the Massachusetts State Supreme Court allowing same sex marriages in defiance of the natural law of God and 3000 years of human history. But the truth is, we are called upon to profess our whole and entire holy catholic faith, down to those parts, which may seem small and insignificant, even if it means our lives, because our faith is not a "buffet table" where we can pick and choose, for it’s an all or nothing proposition. The Lord expects that our love of him will be more important than even love of life.

In today’s gospel we hear the parable of the talents. The gospel speaks of loyalty and the faithful use of all the gifts God has given each of us. The king represents Jesus. Those who reject the king are all those who refuse to listen to all that Jesus teaches. The gold coins represent the gifts God has given us and how we must use what he has given us to the best of our ability to help build up the kingdom. We cannot bury these gifts because of fear. God has lavished upon us every grace and blessing, and he expects us to use what we have been given to bear fruit; he expects a return on his investment.