& .

ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE
ARCHDIOCESE OF
THYATEIRA & GREAT BRITAIN

BULLETIN OF SPIRITUAL EDIFICATION

10 2013
. . 1270

16th SUNDAY OF MATTHEW

10 February 2013
3rd Mode. No. 1270

T. 1-10

, , '
, ,
. .
,
. , , .
.
. ,
, , '
. ,
.

EPISTLE READING
2 Tim. 2: 1-10

hild Timothy, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; and what you have
heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able
to teach others as well. Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one
serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldiers aim is to please the
enlisting officer. And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing
according to the rules. It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first
share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all
things. Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David that is my
gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal.
But the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the
elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal
glory.

. 14-30

, ,
, , , .

.
.
' .
,
' . , !

 , .
,
' . ,
! , .
,
,
.
!
! ,
. '
. ,
'
.
, .

GOSPEL READING
Matt. 25: 14-30

he Lord told this parable: a certain man, going on a journey, summoned his servants
and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to
another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had
received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents.
In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who
had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his masters
money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.
Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents,
saying, Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five talents more. His
master said to him, Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have been trustworthy
in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.
And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, Master, you handed over to
me two talents; see, I have made two talents more. His master said to him, Well done, good
and trustworthy servant; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in
charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master. Then the one who had received
the one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew that you were a harsh man,
reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was
afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours. But his
master replied, You wicked and lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I did not sow, and
gather where I did not scatter! Then you ought to have invested my money with the
bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take
the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have,
more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing,
even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless servant, throw him into the
outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Having said this, he
exclaimed, Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.

RESURRECTION APOLYTIKION
3rd Mode
et everything in heaven rejoice, let everything on earth be glad, for the Lord has
shown strength with his arm; by death he has trampled on death; he has become the
first-born from the dead; from the belly of Hell he has delivered us, and granted the world
his great mercy.


, .
. ,
, .
,
, , ,
, ,
.
.
, ,
, ;

.
, , , ,
.
.
,
: ;
.
.
, ( ),
.
,
. ,
, ,
, ,

.


.

,

,

.

,
,

,
,
,
,
.

SERMON ON THE GOSPEL READING

parable about the Kingdom of Heaven, not the Kingdom of Heaven of the
after-life, but the Kingdom of Heaven that is here and now as our preparation
ground for the next life. In this parable, as with the former ones just related, are the
lessons to be learnt by the various characters in each parable. This parable relates
traders with assets entrusted to them with which they are expected to make a
profit for their master. We are the traders; God is the master; the assets are the gifts
given to us by God. Our mission is to develop these gifts we are given in the service
of God the giver, and by extension of our neighbours and our own salvation, by
means of growth (interest) in the spiritual life, as well as the spread of Gods
Kingdom here. Christians are servants expected by Christ their master to make full
use of any gifts He has given them so that His Kingdom may grow on earth. We
must all, in the end, give an account of our administration of these gifts.
We all have different gifts to be used in different ways in different
circumstances. After a long time the master came. God is very patient. He takes
His time (He has all eternity!) to give us the opportunity to develop our gifts. The
long time is all our life. Notice, it doesnt matter how many talents each receives
in this parable. Even if the servant with one talent had made one more, he would
have received the same reward, Enter into the joy of your master. If the servant
with five talents had not developed them he would have received possibly a greater
condemnation. The number of talents is immaterial. It is what we do with them.
We all have talents which in different situations can be used. We arent all
intellectual theological wiz-kids shining spectacularly in the fast-track, gifted stars,
eloquent, or even very good at what we are doing. We have examples of apparent
ineptitude and failure. Getting yourself crucified in the case of our Lord, or being
stoned, imprisoned, thrown out of towns and synagogues are hardly - in the short
term - success stories.
So what of us mere mortals with perhaps more talents than we think we
have? In my experience as a Young Offenders Institution chaplain it is surprising
what hidden talents prisoners find they have - spiritual, poetic, artistic - when
forced by boredom or a change of life to stop and think. One prisoner made quite a
large very light-weight crucifix, including the figure of Christ, entirely out of
matchsticks and the red heads of matches.
There is, however, one talent we all have: the ability to pray. That gift can
be developed too, which will empower all our other gifts, increase our capacity to
love God and bring us nearer to Him and build up a relationship with Him,
confirming and strengthening it by frequent use, by listening and talking (in our
own words), which in its turn will bring us nearer in love to the rest of humanity,
fallen as we all are. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.

Because an interval of time elapses between sowing and reaping,

we begin to think that there will be no requital (St Mark the Ascetic)
ArchdioceseofThyateira&GreatBritain,5CravenHill,LondonW23EN
Tel.:02077234787.Fax:02072249301.Email:mail@thyateira.org.uk.Website:www.thyateira.org.uk

Printed by St Pauls Press