Saturday, August 31, 2013

“If you have a candle, the light won't glow any dimmer if I light yours off of mine.”


“Am I ever angry or frustrated? I only feel angry sometimes when I see waste, when things that we waste are what people need, things that would save them from dying.” – Mother Teresa (The Joy in Loving: A Guide to Daily Living)

Gospel text (Mt 25,14-30):
Jesus told this parable to his disciples, «Imagine someone who, before going abroad, summoned his servants to entrust his property to them. He gave five talents of silver to one, then two to another, and one to a third, each one according to his ability; and he went away. He who received five talents went at once to do business with the money and gained another five. The one who received two did the same and gained another two. But the one with one talent dug a hole and hid his master's money.

»After a long time, the master of those servants returned and asked for a reckoning. The one who received five talents came with another five talents, saying: ‘Lord, you entrusted me with five talents, but see I have gained five more with them’. The master answered: ‘Very well, good and faithful servant, since you have been faithful in a few things, I will entrust you with much more. Come and share the joy of your master’. Then the one who had two talents came and said: ‘Lord, you entrusted me with two talents; I have two more which I gained with them’. The master said: ‘Well, good and faithful servant, since you have been faithful in little things, I will entrust you with much more. Come and share the joy of your master’. 

»Finally, the one who had received one talent came and said: ‘Master, I know that you are an exacting man. You reap what you have not sown and gather what you have not invested. I was afraid, so I hid your money in the ground. Here, take what is yours’. But his master replied: ‘Wicked and worthless servant, you know that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not invested. Then you should have deposited my money in the bank, and you would have given it back to me with interest on my return. Therefore, take the talent from him, and give it to the one who has ten. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who are unproductive, even what they have will be taken from them. As for that useless servant, throw him out into the dark where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’»

There was a young Filipino guy who was born from a very poor family. At a young age, he was forced to work to support his mother and all his 5 siblings after his father left the family for another woman. He worked in the dangerous streets of General Santos City in the Philippines selling breads and other bakery goods. But he realized that he had something more to offer to the world than just being a street vendor. He discovered he had a passion for boxing. He worked on it, nurtured it with his incredible speed and the amazing power of his left hand. To cut the long story short, through boxing he earned a name not only for himself or for his family but also for all Filipinos everywhere in the world.

Because of his firm determination to develop what he’s been given by God, Emmanuel or Manny Pacquiao as he is popularly known, is now one of the most inspiring figures in the Philippines.

Why am I telling you all this?

Because our gospel today invites us to make use of our talents and abilities according to what God has given us. Like Manny Pacquiao, we all have “something more” to offer to the world. Each one of us has something not to be kept for ourselves but to share.

God doesn’t expect us to be PERFECT in using what He has given us. He just wants us to make GOOD use of “it”, whatever “it” might be.

In the final analysis, we must share our talents. Not one person here or in the whole world can honestly claim, that he or she has got all the talents God can give. This is so  because we need each other. We need to engage with each other and grow together.

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