Short Talks
This section of the website comprises short stand-alone talks and articles on different aspects of the Christian Faith, including the teaching of Jesus, the seasons of the Church’s Year and Feasts and Festivals. More talks/sermons/homilies/articles will be added in due course.
The section of the website entitled The Christian Faith provides more extended teaching on larger content areas, such as the Creed and the Sacraments.
Four Parables of Judgement
This section of the Holy Faith website focuses on four Parables of Judgement (the titles in brackets refer to the King James’ Bible):
• The ten bridesmaids (wise and foolish virgins)
• The talents
• The wicked tenants (wicked husbandmen)
• The weeds in the field (tares and the wheat)
The four talks are now available: The ten bridesmaids, The talents, The wicked tenants and The weeds in the field.
The ten bridesmaids
“…at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him’ ” (NRSV, Matthew 25:6)
The parables which Our Blessed Lord told during Holy Week had a sombre urgency of their own. His mind was preoccupied with the imminence of his rejection and Crucifixion by his enemies which was the price he had to pay for the salvation of mankind. And so, as he looked ahead to the inevitability of man’s judgement of God on Good Friday so also he warned his listeners of the inevitability of God’s judgement of man, and of the need to prepare for that judgement by watchfulness and faithfulness.
The talents
“Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them” (RSV Catholic edition, Matthew 25:19)
It was in Jerusalem on the Tuesday in Holy Week that Our Lord told the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids (Virgins), and on the same day he also told the Parable of the Talents. The importance of the warning which this parable gives us may be gauged by the fact that on the previous Saturday at Jericho he had told a similar parable with the same clear-cut warning – the Parable of the Pounds.