Spiritual Bouquet. "He shall come again to judge the living and the dead."
TRADERS AND TALENTS.
"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."
(St. Matt. xxv. 14).
1st. Prelude. Jesus telling this parable to His disciples.
2nd. Prelude. Grace to learn the lessons from it which He intended.
Point I. The Talents.
It is Christ Himself Who is the Author of this parable and He told it to show us how we are to prepare for His Coming. Every word of it is of importance and bears some instruction or warning for Advent.
The "man going into a far country" is the Man-God, He Who came from Heaven to take our human nature and to redeem us to God by His Blood. His work of Redemption is finished and He is going back to His own country—"A far country"—implying that He will be gone a long time.