Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5a
Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne
Talents Come with Responsibility
Jesus is still on the journey to Jerusalem, and on the way, he gives his final teachings and formation to his disciples, what they are to do, how they are to do it, when they are to do it, why they are to do it, and what benefits they are to get. These teachings were to help them in mission until the end. The church uses these teachings to help us evaluate how we are doing our part in God's mission but also to prepare us for the final coming of the Son of Man on the last day, especially in these last days of the church's liturgical year. Today's Gospel, in particular, not only prepares for the last day but also puts us in the proper context for the upcoming Solemnity of Christ the King, the final Sunday of the liturgical year, and the last day before Advent begins.
Jesus gives the parable of a king who went to a distant country to be appointed king, and before he left, he gave one pound each for them to do business until he came back. While there were no strings attached, this was obviously a test to see if the master's workers would be industrious and reliable in their use of the money entrusted to them, as well as to test the servants' capability and conception of responsibility. As he went, some also were contesting that he should not be their king, and they could not accept him. On his return as a king, he called the servants to present their profits. The first one made a profit of ten pounds, the second five, and the third, out of fear of the king, hid the pound and made no profit. He was stripped of that pound, punished severely, and the pound was given to the one who had ten, for everyone who has more will be given, and from one who has not even the little he has will be taken away. For those who didn't accept him, he slaughtered all of them. What are the main points of this parable?
An important lesson for us would be to be aware that no one can stand still for long in the Christian life. We either get more or we lose what we have. We either advance towards God or we slip back. We have those Christians who fail to spread the Gospel and fail to give what they have been given. They remain idle with the gift of faith that was sparked and given to them and, as a result, lose the little faith they have. Faith needs to grow, to be nurtured and watered by prayer sacraments, charity, the Word of God, spiritual exercises, mass, and many others; otherwise, even the little one we have will be lost. On the other hand, they are those who are persistently working hard in the Lord's vineyard and nourishing their faith. More faith and great rewards will be added to such. Sadly, we also have those who directly oppose the kingship of Christ and the building up of His Kingdom on Earth. These are those who work for the upbuilding of the kingdom of darkness in numerous ways. The ultimate result of this malice is their utter destruction. Where do you and I belong?
Another basic teaching of this parable is to have a positive Fear of God (the king in this parable is God). Negative fear is the one which involves resentment, withdrawal, or being afraid of someone because one is afraid of being punished for making mistakes. But the positive fear is the one that gives due respect, follows commandments in love and charity, and even approaches someone in humility when one is in wrong. This is the fear we owe to God.
God expects us to fear him positively, not negatively. He has endowed us with many gifts to use for his Kingdom, and for ourselves and others also. The fear of God will make us use the talents to serve him and serve our neighbours, not to bury them in fear of making mistakes. The servant who hid the pound and did not trade with it to get profit had a negative fear of his master. He knew that his master was a demanding person, harvesting where he did not plant and gathering where he did not scatter, and so out of fear he went off and buried the master’s pound in the ground. This is not the fear that God expects of us. Those who refused him as a King had neither negative nor positive fear; they were punished severely by God. One can be tempted to think that these are becoming many and many in our world today.
The Lord therefore encourages us to be responsible with our talents and gifts, to use them well and nurture them to grow and bear fruit. Let us always be active in the mission of God and employ our gifts with zeal for the sake of the kingdom. We shall be rewarded according to our zeal and efforts. The fact that the wicked servant’s money is given to the most successful therefore seems to be a promise of special reward for special zeal in the apostolate.
Reflect today about the positive fear of God and which side you belong to. If you struggle with fear, specifically if you struggle with a fear to evangelize, to share the Gospel and to live your faith openly with humility and love, then spend more time with this parable and the fate of that one servant who hid the coin in the piece of linen and buried it. Engage in the apostolate. Commit yourself to the furtherance of God’s Kingdom. Dispel all fear and know that you will never regret putting your whole heart and soul into the service of God and the building of His Kingdom. Let us also draw inspiration from the seven brothers in the first reading who feared nobody but only God and his laws and finally died for him.
Let us Pray.
Fill me, Lord, with a responsible, generous, and wise spirit that I may use the gifts, talents, time, and resources you give me for your glory and your kingdom. Please free me from all fear, dear Lord, so that I will never hesitate to serve You in the ways that You call me to serve. Amen
Be blessed
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