Thirty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time

Matt. 25: 14-30

Sunday Reflection by Sister Esther Adama, SNDdeN

Beloved in Christ, the word of God today talks about how active and committed we ought to be as Christians with our God given talents. It also calls us to action, not carelessness in faith. The three servants in the gospel of today were endowed with talents to use and return the profit to their master upon his return from the journey.
These stewards represent all of us gifted and blessed with different talents, skills, abilities, wealth etc. These gifts are expected to be recognized and developed for the reign or kingdom of God, but this is not always the case. Sometimes we use them appropriately and other times we do not. The two servants out of three who received their respective talents worked hard to invest and develop theirs and the result was a bumper harvest. The third on the other hand, hid his talent, and it either remained the way it was, deteriorated or remained stagnant. This could be due to many reasons best known to the steward, but whatever the case, we, are called to reflect upon what may have prompted that inactivity and idleness of the steward, hiding his talent. Imagine what would have happened if this one talent had been invested and developed into something great, but he chose to keep it to himself and at the end neither he nor the master profited from it. We, too, can be like this steward when we, out fear, pride, selfishness, laziness or perhaps lack of awareness of our talents, are unable to develop our talent or are aware but do not want to share them with other. The fact is that when we share, we become richer as the other is enriched and transformed by that singular act.

Today this parable calls us Christians to obey God, and in gratitude to reflect on our talents, to develop and use them for the good of others in the community and society. Our talents, skills, abilities, wealth, ideas, knowledge are God-given blessings to us, and what becomes of them is our gift back to God. What will be my gift back to God? We must share our talents with others, no matter how small or big they may be. They are not meant to be hidden but be shared to uplift, empower and transform others and our environments. When we share our talents, we gain and not lose, but if we don’t and keep them to ourselves, they will never develop and even that little we have will be taken away and added to the one who has more.

In conclusion, as Christians we are called in a special way to place the good of the other person at heart, to recognize our talents and utilize them to transform peoples’ lives. Our world is in a bad condition today because we who are gifted have not used our God-given gifts in gratitude to God. In addition, in our current era of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are even more challenged by this gospel to share graciously what we have with the poor, hungry, unemployed, displaced and homeless, rejected, sick and dying. We are called to touch somebody’s life positively because what goes with us when we depart this earthly world is our good stewardship and dedication. These will stand before us in God’s presence; they will become our gifts back to God. Therefore beloved, let us become in our time partakers in God’s creation as we participate in gifting our neighbours, environments, and world through good stewardship of our talents and be a blessing and the walking love of God as St. Julie Billiart was in her time. May the Good God grant us the graces we need to be good stewards.

Matthew 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.'”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Meet Sister Esther Adama, SNDdeN

Esther Jumai Adama comes from Odagbo in Ankpa L. G. A. of Kogi State in Nigeria. She was born on the 27th March, 1970 to the family of the late Mr. Adama Ameloke and Mrs. Alice Adi Adama, both from the same Local Government Area. She is the second child in a family of ten children. Esther had her primary education at Ja’faru Estate Primary School Kabala-Doki in Kaduna State. The last part of her secondary education was at the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Bida, Niger State. Her desire and inspiration to become a religious started as far back as 1988. This burning desire prompted her to embark on teaching catechism to children both in the main parish and the out-stations of St. Benedict’s Catholic Church in Kagara, Niger State. The parish priest, Fr. Oliver O’Reilly, inquired about her future ambitions. She said that she would love to work for God through service to the poor, as a Sister. When her parents learned about her desire, they were not pleased. In response to God’s call, she joined the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur on January 7th 1995. After her postulancy and Novitiate program, Sr. Esther made her first profession on November 15,1997 in Kulende, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. Her first mission was to Uzairue, Edo State to teach at St. Philip’s N/Pschool. In 1998, she gained admission to the Federal College of Education, Kontagora and graduated with her N.C.E qualification in 2001. Then, she was missioned to practice her field at St. Peter’s N/P school Ndeabor, Enugu State. On June 4, 2002, Sr. Esther was sent to the United States to study in a theological and formation programme at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, IL. On her return to Nigeria, she worked as Assistant Novice Directress for about two years in Ilorin, Kwara State. Later, she went for her Tertianship in preparation for final vows which she made on September 17, 2005.  Sr. Esther is currently working as Postulant Directress at the SND Postulate in Kenya. With openness and generosity, Sr. Esther says that the journey so far has not been easy, but it has been interesting and challenging. She comes from a typical Muslim background where embracing religious life is regarded as counter cultural. She attributes all: to God be the glory. She prays that our God who began this work in her will bring it to perfection.