🪷 Laurence Giustiniani, the first Patriarch of Venice, was born into a noble Venetian family in 1381. From a young age, he showed profound piety and a remarkable detachment from worldly riches, opting for a life of asceticism and prayer. He became a Canon Regular of St. Augustine and later the General of his order, tirelessly dedicating himself to the reform of the clergy and the promotion of spiritual life. As Bishop and Patriarch, he distinguished himself by his inexhaustible charity towards the poor, his fervent preaching, and his humility, serving as a model pastor who generously distributed the gifts entrusted to him, guiding his flock with holiness until his death in 1456.
📖 Introito (Ps 63, 11 | ib., 2)Státuit ei Dóminus testaméntum pacis, et príncipem fecit eum... The Lord made with him a covenant of peace, and made him a prince, that he should have the dignity of the priesthood forever. Ps. Remember David, O Lord, and all his meekness. ℣. Glory be to the Father.
📜 Epistle (Eccli 44, 16-27; 45, 3-20)
Behold the great priest who in his days pleased God and was found just; in the time of wrath, he became a reconciliation for men. None was found like him in the observance of the law of the Most High. Therefore, the Lord swore that He would glorify him in his offspring. He blessed all nations in him and confirmed his covenant upon his head. He distinguished him with his blessings; he preserved his mercy for him, and he found grace before the Lord. He exalted him before kings and gave him a crown of glory. He made with him an eternal covenant; he gave him the high priesthood, and filled him with happiness in glory, to exercise the priesthood, to sing praises to His Name, and to offer Him worthily incense of a sweet odor.
🕊️ Gospel (Mt 25, 14-23)
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples this parable: A man, going into a far country, called his servants and delivered to them his goods. And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to every one according to his proper ability: and immediately he took his journey. And he that had received the five talents, went his way, and traded with the same, and gained other five. And in like manner he that had received the two, gained other two. But he that had received the one, going his way digged into the earth, and hid his lord’s money. But after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them. And he that had received the five talents came and brought other five talents, saying: Lord, thou didst deliver to me five talents; behold I have gained other five over and above. His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. And he also that had received the two talents, came and said: Lord, thou didst deliver to me two talents; behold I have gained other two. His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
✨ Reflections
⛪ The life of Saint Laurence Justinian, bishop and confessor, resonates with today’s profound liturgical truths, where the Epistle describes the dignity and responsibility of the priesthood, and the Gospel reveals the parable of the talents. The gifts of God are talents entrusted to our diligence and charity, never to be buried, for "The Lord calls to account those to whom He has entrusted talents; let no one therefore suppose that he can escape the reckoning if he has not applied the gifts he has received to the increase of God's glory" (Saint Gregory the Great, Homilies on the Gospels, Homily 9). Indeed, priestly excellence, as described in the Epistle, transcends mere ritual observance, manifesting in a life of holiness and intercession, reminding us that "the priest must be sober, vigilant, and possess countless eyes to see in every direction, not only so as to avoid sin himself, but also to bring others to a knowledge of the truth" (Saint John Chrysostom, On the Priesthood, Book 6). The "talents" that Jesus entrusts to us, as Saint Augustine affirmed, are the capacities and opportunities of divine Providence, for "What are these talents but the gifts of God? Some receive more, some less, but each according to his ability" (Saint Augustine, Sermon 99, 5). This fidelity in little things is the prelude to eternal joy, a principle that Saint Laurence Justinian embodied, reminding us of the "great confidence that the Lord grants to those who, even in little, have been faithful, for He calls them to enter into His joy!" (Saint Ambrose, Explanation of the Gospel of Luke, Book VIII, 74).
🔄 Matthew’s Gospel (Mt 25, 14-23), with the Parable of the Talents, emphasizes individual responsibility in managing received gifts, based on each person's capacity. Luke’s Gospel presents a similar parable, that of the Minas (Lk 19, 11-27), but with some notable distinctions: in Luke, the context is the expectation of the Kingdom of God, the master is a nobleman going to receive a kingdom, and all servants receive the same amount (one mina), with the reward proportional to the profit (authority over cities), and there is also opposition from citizens to the nobleman's return, an aspect absent in Matthew, which focuses more on individual stewardship and final judgment.
🔥 The epistles of Saint Paul complement the Parable of the Talents by addressing the diversity of spiritual gifts and the necessity of using them for the common good and the edification of the Body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12, he describes how the Holy Spirit distributes different charisms to each, "as he wills" (1 Cor 12, 11), so that all members contribute to the Church, echoing the idea of "to every one according to his proper ability" (Mt 25, 15). Furthermore, in Romans 12, 6-8, Paul exhorts Christians to exercise their gifts (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, showing mercy) with diligence, highlighting the importance of active stewardship and service, just like the servants who traded their talents.
🏛️ Church documents predating 1955 frequently underscored the dignity and grave responsibilities of the episcopate, directly connecting to the Epistle and the Gospel. The Council of Trent (Session XXIII, canon 1 on the sacrament of Order) reaffirms that "the divinely instituted hierarchy consists of bishops, priests, and ministers," and that bishops, as successors of the apostles, have the duty to "feed and govern the Church of God," which implies a faithful and diligent management of the spiritual and temporal talents entrusted to them, as exemplified by Saint Laurence Justinian. Pope Benedict XIV, in Apostolica Constitutio (1749), concerning the functions of bishops, also echoes the ideal of service and fidelity expected of a pastor.
🧐 See English articles here.