St. Cecilia

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Saturday, 22 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Lord contained within the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that all of us should continue to live our lives in the manner that is worthy of the Lord, doing our best in putting God at the centre and as the focus of all of our lives. We should not put so much emphasis and focus on worldly ambitions and desires which can lead us astray and further from the Lord. Instead, we should always keep in mind that whatever greatness, glory and possessions that we build in this world can easily be destroyed and lost in an instant, and we may end up with nothing and eternal regret if we have spent so much efforts in trying to win the approval of the world but lost ourselves from the Lord and His grace.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the Maccabees, we heard the continuation of what happened during the Maccabean Rebellion against the Greek Seleucid kingdom led by King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. As we have discussed in the previous few days, the actions of this Greek king was motivated by his desire to unite the very diverse nature of his kingdom’s subjects and dominion, ruling over a vast kingdom with people from different cultures, practices and beliefs. According to historical evidences and records, this did indeed happen, and this king was infamous for his megalomania and tyranny which led him to carry out such terrible actions against his own subjects. And eventually rebellions like what happened in Judea and Galilee happened, as was elsewhere.

We heard then therefore how retribution came for this wicked king who had made the lives of so many of God’s people difficult, causing many among them to face persecutions and hardships for continuing to hold firmly and strongly to their faith in God. And the Lord did not forget about His people, and neither did He abandon them, as He proved that His retributions for those who have wronged His people would be swift and severe, as king Antiochus himself experienced. Everything that he had designed in his grand plans and efforts came to waste, as detailed in that passage from the Book of Maccabees. His efforts to eradicate the beliefs and faith of the Jewish people had been largely overturned, as the Jews defeated his armies and reestablish the worship of God on the same Temple that king Antiochus had ordered to be defiled.

And the king’s efforts to gain more glory and power from his campaigns to the eastern lands of Persia and Media also came to naught as he lost the battles, and even he himself had become afflicted, sickened and was dying. It was only after all of these things had happened that the king finally realised the folly of his efforts and actions. He repented for those deeds and died in sorrow at the end of his ultimately failed campaign and efforts at self-aggrandisement and self-glorification. And this also then becomes a reminder for all of us not to seek for similar worldly glory and renown at the expense of our relationships with God and with one another, and in neglecting our important obligations and responsibilities to those whom the Lord had entrusted to us.

From our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus was confronted by the Sadducees who questioned Him and tried to test Him with the riddle on what would happen to a woman who had been married to seven brothers that all passed away one by one, and what their status would be in the life that is to come, in the afterlife that the Sadducees did not believe in. First of all, we should know and realise that the Sadducees were one of the major and most influential groups in the Jewish community of that time together with the Pharisees. While the Pharisees were the religious and intellectual elites of the community, the Sadducees were the societal elites and those who held worldly power, such as the chief priests, the supporters of Herod and the king’s people, the nobles among others.

The Sadducees were also known for their rejection of spiritual things and beliefs, and were very worldly in their actions, approaches and beliefs. They did not believe in the resurrection from the dead, the afterlife, Angels and other spiritual beings and matters. As such, while the Pharisees took issue and offence at the Lord and His disciples for their way of practicing the Law of God, the Sadducees took offence at the Lord for His preaching and teachings about the resurrection and the new life that is to come, beyond the confines of this world. The question which the Sadducees asked of the Lord came from a purely worldly perspective, as if we understand what they asked of the Lord, they clearly did not believe that existence beyond this world that we know of and are familiar with can be a reality.

But the Lord told them the truth that there is indeed Resurrection from the dead and those who go on to the life that is to come, and are found worthy no longer live in the manner of this world, of getting married and seeking worldly fulfilment, achievements and accomplishments. Instead, their lives and existence will be focused and centred on God, as they will no longer suffer the lack and the imperfections of this world, and in fullness of joy they shall all glorify the Lord together as one people, in perfect harmony, happiness and joy. Of course this does not mean that relationships are no longer important for us, or that our faith and existence become individualistic, lest we misunderstand the Lord’s intentions, but rather, as per the theme of what we discuss today, we should always seek beyond what is material and worldly in our lives.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great woman and servant of God, whose faith and devotion to God, and the dedication to Him, to the point of suffering and enduring grievous tribulations for His sake, should be a great inspiration for all of us Christians to follow. St. Cecilia was well-known as the patron saint of musicians, but she is also a great martyr of the Faith, as she had to bear great sufferings for the sake of the Lord, in her obedience to Him and in her steadfastness in refusing to abandon her faith in Him. She was born into Roman nobility and despite her vow of virginity before God, as a Christian, was forced by her family to marry a pagan nobleman named Valerian. St. Cecilia according to tradition, warned Valerian that an Angel of the Lord watched over her and if he tried to violate her sacred virginity, he would be struck down.

Hence, that was also how St. Cecilia managed to convince her husband to become a Christian himself, as when he asked to see the Angel mentioned by St. Cecilia, he did see the Angel of God after he was baptised by the Pope at that time, Pope St. Urban I. At that time, the Christians in Rome and elsewhere throughout the Roman Empire were persecuted for their faith, and this eventually led to the martyrdom of St. Cecilia and her husband, together with other Christians that had been arrested and made to suffer and die, when they refused to betray the Lord and abandon their faith in Him, just like those of the seven brothers mentioned in our first reading passage today. St. Cecilia was one of those great martyrs of the Church, whose courage and dedication to God, and whose commitment to virtue and holiness, and the purity of her sacred virginity, inspired countless Christians throughout history, right up to this day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the good examples of St. Cecilia in her courageous faith and commitment to God, doing our very best so that our lives may always bring glory to God, and that we may always ever be focused on Him and not on our personal ambitions and worldly desires. Let us all continue to be exemplary and be courageous in living our lives wholeheartedly in the Lord’s Presence, and by our every words, actions and deeds, let us all show forth the love of God, His hope and Good News to all those whom we encounter each days in our lives, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 22 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 20 : 27-40

At that time, then some Sadducees arrived. These people claim that there is no resurrection, and they asked Jesus this question, “Master, in the Law Moses told us, ‘If anyone dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife, and any child born to them will be regarded as the child of the deceased.’”

“Now, there were seven brothers : the first married, but died without children. The second married the woman, but also died childless. And then the third married her, and in this same way all seven died, leaving no children. Last of all the woman died. On the day of the resurrection, to which of them will the woman be a wife? For all seven had her as a wife.”

And Jesus replied, “Taking a husband or a wife is proper to people of this world, but for those who are considered worthy of the world to come, and of resurrection from the dead, there is no more marriage. Besides, they cannot die, for they are like the Angels. They are sons and daughters of God, because they are born of the resurrection.”

“Yes, the dead will be raised, as Moses revealed at the burning bush, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. For God is God of the living, and not of the dead, for to Him everyone is alive.”

Some teachers of the Law then agreed with Jesus, “Master, You have spoken well.” They did not dare ask Him anything else.

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Saturday, 22 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 9 : 2-3, 4 and 6, 16b and 19

Let my heart give thanks to YHVH, I yearn to proclaim Your marvellous deeds, and rejoice and exult in You; and sing praise to Your Name, o Most High.

For my enemies fell back in retreat, they stumbled and perished before You. You have turned back the nations; You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their names forever.

The feet of the pagans were ensnared by the trap they laid. For the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

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Saturday, 22 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

1 Maccabees 6 : 1-13

When king Antiochus was making his way through the upper regions of Persia, he received news about Elymais, a city renowned for its wealth in silver and gold. They kept in the wealthy temple of their city golden armour, breastplates and weapons, left there by the Macedonian king, Alexander, the son of Philip, the first sovereign of the Greeks.

So Antiochus went there. But the inhabitants came out armed against him when they learnt of his intention, so his attempt to take the city failed. He had to turn back; and he returned much embittered to Babylon. While he was still in Persia, it was reported to him that the armies sent to Judea had been defeated. They told him that although Lysias had gone with a strong army, he had to flee before the Jews, who had been strengthened with the weapons and the abundant booty taken from the neighbouring armies.

He heard, too, that the Jews had destroyed the abominable idol he had erected on the altar in Jerusalem; and had rebuilt the Temple walls to the same height as before; and had also fortified the city of Beth-zur. When he received this news, he was terrified and deeply upset. He fell sick and became greatly depressed because things had not turned out the way he had planned.

So he remained overcome by this terrible anguish for many days. He felt he was dying, so he called his friends and said to them, “Sleep has fled from my eyes and I am greatly crushed by my anxieties. And I keep on asking why such grief has come upon me – I who was generous and well-loved when in power – and now I am so discouraged.”

“Now I remember the evils I did in Jerusalem, the vessels of gold and silver that I stole, the inhabitants of Judea I ordered to be killed for no reason at all. I now know, that because of this, these misfortunes have come upon me; and I am dying of grief in a strange land.”

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Friday, 22 November 2024 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures all of us are reminded through them of the need for each and every one of us to be truly faithful and committed to God, to follow the Lord in all of our ways and to embody our faith in each and every one of our actions so that we may truly be worthy of Him through our various efforts and contributions, in focusing ourselves upon God’s Law and commandments, in keeping ourselves free from the taint and corruption of evil and sin, all the things that can keep us away from the Lord and His salvation, and all the things that had brought us to the corruption that defiled the sanctity of the Temple of God that is our body, our mind, heart and soul, our very beings, which God has made to be His temple and House.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle, we heard of the continuation of the account of the heavenly vision of St. John that he received during his exile in the Island of Patmos about the end of times and the upcoming tribulations and challenges for the faithful people of God, and how God ultimately will redeem and deliver all of them to the ultimate triumph and victory with Him. In today’s part of the vision that has been told to us, we heard of the Angel of God giving the small book from his hand to St. John to eat as instructed by the Angel, and St. John tasted that this Book of the Word of God is truly sweet in the mouth and yet bitter in the stomach after he had swallowed it.

This is in fact a very good reminder for all of us that the truth and the Word of God is something that is very reassuring and a show of God’s love for us, which is represented by the sweetness of that book which St. John the Apostle consumed in his vision. Then, that bitterness in the stomach is a representation of the hardships and sufferings, the trials and challenges that those who are on the side of the Lord will have to endure to be truly living good and worthy Christian lives. This is a metaphor of what faithful Christians, holy and committed people of God would be going through in their journey, like what the Apostles and the many early Christians had endured and suffered from. Many of them were persecuted, and faced all kinds of martyrdom.

Then, in our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke, we heard of the account of the time and moment when the Lord Jesus angrily got rid of all the merchants, money changers and other businesses peddling their merchandise and products, services and other corrupt practices in the courtyard of the Temple of God in Jerusalem. At that time, many of the Jewish people were actually scattered in different places and countries, and many of them lived in places that were distant from their homeland in Jerusalem and Judea. There were many reasons for this, some of them being the destruction of the old kingdoms of Israel and Judah which scattered quite a number of the Israelites to various distant places, and they settled down in those places instead of returning to their homeland as some others had done.

And therefore, since these people came from various places which have distinct and different currencies, it is necessary for those businesses to be set up in the Temple courtyard, such as the selling of animals and other things needed for the ritual sacrifices required by the Law and commandments of God, as it was unlikely for the pilgrims to be bringing their own sacrifices all the way to Jerusalem. Similarly, there was also a rule and custom that the sacrificial offerings cannot be purchased using money that is unclean or improper, such that the ones produced by the Romans, with the Emperor’s face on them, and as the Emperor or the deities in the other coins are improper, hence, the money changers provided the service to exchange the money brought by the pilgrims with the silver coins issued by the Temple that can then be used for the purchase of the sacrificial offerings.

However, the issue that the Lord Jesus took great offense with and which angered Him very much was just how corrupt those who have carried out those businesses had been, in how they overcharged and profitted a lot from gaining money from all the transactions they did, in fooling those pilgrims and cheating them of their money. The chief priests and the Temple officials also turned a blind eye to all the injustice and wickedness, and that was likely because they also profitted from the proceeds and efforts of all those merchants and money changers, and hence, tacitly gave their quiet support for the continued wicked deeds by those who sought to profit above the sufferings of others. Hence, the Lord was truly angered by this, and He cast those wicked merchants and money changers all out, reminding everyone and all of us that God’s Temple is a House of Prayer, and not for such wicked things.

Now, we are then also reminded that as mentioned earlier, our own body, heart, mind and soul are also actually Temples of the Lord’s Holy Presence, the House of the Lord in which God Himself dwells. He is in us, dwelling in us and journeying with us as He has provided us all His own Most Precious Body and Blood, which we all partake through the Most Holy Eucharist, the Lord Himself, in His Body and Blood, His Real Presence, coming into us. And at the same time, God has also given us all His Holy Spirit, bestowed on us all through His Son, sending down the Spirit of Life and grace to us, as He has given to His Church ever since the Pentecost Sunday till this day. And hence, if the Lord Himself is present in us, should we all not then ensure that our bodies, minds, hearts and souls, our whole beings are truly worthy of Him?

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Cecilia, the famous martyr and patron saint of music and musicians. St. Cecilia was born into a noble Roman family during the third century at a time of difficulty and persecution for the Christians in the early Church. She was born into possibly a Christian family who nonetheless forced her to marry a pagan nobleman named Valerius. Prior to this, St. Cecilia had dedicated herself in holy virginity to God and vowed not to get married as she dedicated her virginity to the Lord. Her association with music and musicians stemmed from the event that happened during her wedding when she sang passionately from her heart, dedicating the song to God. And she remained chaste afterwards, warning her husband not to touch or violate her virginity as an Angel of the Lord was standing by her side and protecting her.

When Valerius, the husband of St. Cecilia asked her to see the Angel of God, St. Cecilia told her husband that he would be able to see the Angel if he agreed to be baptised as a Christian and go to a specific place outside of Rome. Eventually after following St. Cecilia’s advice, her husband witnessed the Angel of God standing by the side of his wife, and therefore he believed. Eventually then, amidst all the persecutions and trials that happened at that time, all of them were martyred, St. Cecilia herself with her husband, Valerius and her husband’s brother. St. Cecilia herself was martyred by being struck by a sword on the neck, and to the very end, she remained ever faithful to the Lord and became great role model and example for many other Christians during her time and afterwards, right up to this very day. Her courage and example in faith should continue to inspire us all in how we ourselves ought to live our faith as Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have reflected from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures earlier on and from the life and examples shown by St. Cecilia, holy martyr and servant of God, let us all therefore commit ourselves to a renewed life in faith, doing whatever we can in order to live a life that is truly and wholly righteous, good and full of virtue, distancing ourselves from the taint and corruption of sin to the best of our abilities to do so. Let us all be good role models and inspirations for one another, to be the shining beacons of God’s light, hope and Good News in our world today. May God be with us always and may He always strengthen us in our faith. Amen.

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Friday, 22 November 2024 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 19 : 45-48

At that time, Jesus entered the Temple area and began to drive out the merchants. And He said to them, “God says in the Scriptures, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of robbers!'”

Jesus was teaching every day in the Temple. The chief priests and teachers of the Law wanted to kill Him, and the elders of the Jews as well, but they were unable to do anything, for all the people were listening to Him and hanging on His words.

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Friday, 22 November 2024 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 118 : 14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131

I delight in following Your laws, more so than in all riches.

Your laws are my delight, my counsellors who uphold me.

Your law is more precious to me than heaps of silver and gold.

How sweet are Your promises to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Your statutes are my heritage forever, they are the joy of my heart.

I gasp in ardent yearning for Your commandments that I love.

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Friday, 22 November 2024 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Revelations 10 : 8-11

And the voice I heard from heaven spoke again, saying to me, “Go near the Angel Who stands on the sea and on the land, and take the small book open in his hand.” So I approached the Angel and asked him for the small book; he said to me, “Take it and eat; although it be sweet as honey in your mouth, it will be bitter to your stomach.”

I took the small book from the hand of the Angel, and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, it turned bitter in my stomach. Then I was told, “You must again proclaim God’s words about many peoples, nations, tongues and kings.”

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Wednesday, 22 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we listened to the words of the Scriptures in which we are reminded of the challenges and difficulties that we may have to endure as we carry out our lives faithfully as Christians, that is as those who follow the Lord and walk in His ways. We are also presented with the reminders of what we all need to do in living our lives faithfully as followers of the Lord, that we have to be active and committed in living our lives sincerely and with devotion, in following God as best as we are all able to. Each and every one of us are reminded that without action and contribution in our lives, and without actively living our Christian faith, then we cannot truly be the followers and disciples of Christ.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the Maccabees, in which the sufferings of the seven brothers, sons of the same mother, were recounted to us, the sufferings and persecution which they endured because of their adherence to the Law of God, the Jewish practices and customs that ran contrary to the desires and demands of the Greek King of the Seleucid Empire, at that time, King Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who imposed a wide-ranging ban on the local practices of the peoples throughout his vast Empire, demanding and enforcing his will that he wanted everyone to follow the ways and practices of the Greeks, abandoning their own faith, beliefs and practices, to become like the Greeks in all things.

And this king was truly ruthless and determined in his efforts to impose his will on the entire Empire. However, this came to direct conflict with many among the Jewish people, the descendants of the Israelites living in the regions of Judea, Galilee, Samaria and elsewhere, because they mostly believed in the Lord their God, the one and only true God, and hence, they could not bear themselves to worship other gods, or abandon their Lord and Master for those pagan gods and false idols. The Lord their God was their one and only Master, and remains so, to this very day. All of us also worship the same God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the One Who had sent unto us, His Beloved Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

In that encounter and event described in our first reading today, it was detailed how the king persecuted greatly all those who chose willingly to remain faithful to God, and the seven brothers, each of whom were adamant in their commitment to God and in refusing each of the king’s efforts to sway and persuade, coerce and force them to abandon their faith in the Lord. They chose to suffer and die, one by one, from the oldest to the youngest, and the mother, who had to witness all of these, she also remained firmly faithful to the Lord, encouraging all of them and remaining steadfast with them. Despite everything that the king had tried to do to convince them to do otherwise, none of the seven brothers and the mother betrayed the Lord. They all died as martyrs of the faith.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the parable which the Lord related and told to His disciples and followers, of a variation of the well-known parable of the silver talents. In this parable, we heard of how a man entrusted to his servants some sums of silver talents or pounds, for them to take care of while he went on his journey to a distant land to be crowned king there. Each of the first two servants mentioned invested their silver well, and made good gains from the silver, doubling what they had been entrusted with. Meanwhile, the third and last servant mentioned did not do anything to the silver, and returned it to his master intact as how it was entrusted to him. We heard how those who had done well in investing their silver were rewarded and entrusted with the care of many cities, while the one who had been lazy and did nothing, was punished and his silver taken away, ending up with nothing.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this parable has a symbolic meaning in showing us that the Lord has entrusted each and every one of us with various talents, abilities, gifts and opportunities in life, and some of us did receive more than others. However, each one of us are also therefore expected to make good use of those gifts and opportunities, and we should not be idle or ignorant of what we can and should do in using the blessings that God had given to us. And how do we use these blessings and gifts, opportunities and other things that God had granted to us? It is by remaining steadfast and faithful in our lives, in living our lives honourably and worthily in accordance to the path that the Lord Himself has shown and taught to us. All of us have been reminded of this today, and the courage and faith of the seven brothers and their mother mentioned in our first reading today served as one good example of what it means for us to be truly faithful to God.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great woman and servant of God, whose faith and devotion to God, and the dedication to Him, to the point of suffering and enduring grievous tribulations for His sake, should be a great inspiration for all of us Christians to follow. St. Cecilia was well-known as the patron saint of musicians, but she is also a great martyr of the Faith, as she had to bear great sufferings for the sake of the Lord, in her obedience to Him and in her steadfastness in refusing to abandon her faith in Him. She was born into Roman nobility and despite her vow of virginity before God, as a Christian, was forced by her family to marry a pagan nobleman named Valerian. St. Cecilia according to tradition, warned Valerian that an Angel of the Lord watched over her and if he tried to violate her sacred virginity, he would be struck down.

Hence, that was also how St. Cecilia managed to convince her husband to become a Christian himself, as when he asked to see the Angel mentioned by St. Cecilia, he did see the Angel of God after he was baptised by the Pope at that time, Pope St. Urban I. At that time, the Christians in Rome and elsewhere throughout the Roman Empire were persecuted for their faith, and this eventually led to the martyrdom of St. Cecilia and her husband, together with other Christians that had been arrested and made to suffer and die, when they refused to betray the Lord and abandon their faith in Him, just like those of the seven brothers mentioned in our first reading passage today. St. Cecilia was one of those great martyrs of the Church, whose courage and dedication to God, and whose commitment to virtue and holiness, and the purity of her sacred virginity, inspired countless Christians throughout history, right up to this day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard all of these courageous and faithful examples of our holy predecessors, let us all therefore as Christians living in our present day world be filled with faith and commitment to God, inspired and strengthened by the virtues and the courage of those who have gone before us. Let us all not be easily swayed or threatened to abandon our faith, and let us all commit ourselves anew to the Lord. May the Lord, our loving God and Master, continue to guide and strengthen us in our journey of faith, in our pursuit of His salvation and truth, now and always. May He inspire us all to become great role models and inspirations ourselves, in how we live our lives with great faith and charity. Amen.

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Wednesday, 22 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 19 : 11-28

At that time, Jesus was now near Jerusalem, and the people with Him thought that God’s reign was about to appear. So as they were listening to Him, Jesus went on to tell them a parable. He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country in order to be crowned king, after which he planned to return home. Before he left, he summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds of silver.”

“He said, ‘Put this money to work until I get back.’ But his compatriots, who disliked him, sent a delegation after him with this message, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’ He returned, however, appointed as king. At once he sent for the servants, to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made. The first came in, and reported, ‘Sir, your pound of silver has earned ten more pounds of silver.'”

“The master replied, ‘Well done, my good servant! Since you have proved yourself faithful in a small matter, I can trust you to take charge of ten cities.’ The second reported, ‘Sir, your pound of silver earned five more pounds of silver.’ The master replied, ‘And you, take charge of five cities!'”

“The third came in, and said, ‘Sir, here is your money, which I hid for safekeeping. I was afraid of you, for you are an exacting person : you take up what you did not lay down, and you reap what you did not sow.’ The master replied, ‘You worthless servant, I will judge you by your own words! So you knew I was an exacting person, taking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow? Why, then, did you not put my money on loan, so that, when I got back, I could have collected it with interest?'”

“Then the master said to those standing by, ‘Take from him that pound, and give it to the one with ten pounds.’ But they objected, ‘Sir, he already has ten pounds!’ The master replied, ‘I tell you, everyone who has will be given more; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for my enemies who did not want me to be their king, bring them in, and execute them right here in front of me!'”

So Jesus spoke, and then He passed on ahead of them, on His way to Jerusalem.