Gospel (Mt 25,14-30) - At that time, Jesus told his disciples this parable: «It will happen like a man who, leaving on a journey, called his servants and handed over his goods to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability, and departed. He who had received five talents immediately went to employ them and earned five more. So even he who had received two, he earned two more. But he who had received only one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money there. »After a long time the master of those servants returned, and wanted to settle accounts with them. He who had received five talents presented five more, saying, "Lord, you delivered to me five talents; behold, I have gained five more." "Well done, good and faithful servant," his master said to him, "you have been faithful over little, I will give you authority over much; take part in your master's joy." Then the one who had received two talents came forward and said, "Lord, you gave me two talents; see, I have gained two more." "Well, good and faithful servant," the master replied, "you have been faithful over little, I will give you authority over much; take part in your master's joy." »Finally the one who had received the one talent came and said: "Lord, I know that you are a hard man, who reaps where you have not sown and gathers where you have not scattered; out of fear I went to hide the talent underground: here is yours" . The master replied to him: "You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered; you should have entrusted my money to the bankers and so, on my return, I would have withdrawn mine with interest. So take away his talent, and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For whoever has will be given, and he will have abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And the idle servant throw him outside into the darkness; there will be weeping and shrieking of teeth"".

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

Today the Church remembers Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, authoritative and influential personalities who met Jesus in their lives and listened to his preaching. Memory of Carlo Maria Martini, archbishop of Milan, a man of listening to the Word of God, linked by a long friendship to the Community of Sant'Egidio. It is said of Joseph that he was "an authoritative member of the Sanhedrin, who also awaited the kingdom of God" (Mk 15:43). Nicodemus remembers the nocturnal meeting with the master of Nazareth in the Gospel of John and his existential question: "How can a man be born when he is old?" (Jn 3.4). Both, in different ways, allowed themselves to be questioned by the Gospel and became the disciples of the last hour. As in the parable of the hired workers (Mt 20.1-16), they show up to work in the vineyard when everything seems finished. The sun was now setting and night was about to envelop Jerusalem. With the sun the light of that master's words also went out. Everything seemed to have ended with that shameful death. But then Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus find the courage to come out into the open: their love for the master pushed them to go out and ask for the body of Jesus. On that Friday evening, while the night seemed to envelop everything, those two disciples show a light that overcomes fear and manifests the strength of love.