”We are made for this, that we may be
good, and serve our Maker; when we act against His precepts, we act against
Nature.”-Saint Paulinus
(Gospel text: Matthew25:14-30)
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"A man going on a journey
called in his servants and entrusted
his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to
another, two; to a third, one--
to each according to his ability.
Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five
talents went and traded with them,
and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two
made another two.
But the man who received one went off
and dug a hole in the ground
and buried his master's money.
After a long time
the master of those servants came back
and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received five talents
came forward bringing the additional
five.
He said, 'Master, you gave me five
talents.
See, I have made five more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my
good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small
matters,
I will give you great
responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received two
talents also came forward and said,
'Master, you gave me two talents.
See, I have made two more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my
good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small
matters,
I will give you great
responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received the one
talent came forward and said,
'Master, I knew you were a demanding
person,
harvesting where you did not plant
and gathering where you did not
scatter;
so out of fear I went off and buried
your talent in the ground.
Here it is back.'
His master said to him in reply, 'You
wicked, lazy servant!
So you knew that I harvest where I did
not plant
and gather where I did not scatter?
Should you not then have put my money
in the bank
so that I could have got it back with
interest on my return?
Now then! Take the talent from him and
give it to the one with ten.
For to everyone who has,
more will be given and he will grow
rich;
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
And throw this useless servant into
the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and
grinding of teeth.'"
It’s the middle of the day. Your boss
comes up and hands you a check for one million dollars. “I’m going out of town
for a few months,” he says, “but I want you to put this money to work for the
company while I’m away.” Then he turns and walks away.
What
would you do?
That was the challenge the three
servants in Jesus’ parable faced. And although Jesus included three servants,
there are only two categories: those who made money for their master and those
who didn’t.
Making money requires bold action and
the willingness to take risks. For the two successful servants, it meant using
what they had been given to make more. They probably thought every day about
how to explain their undertakings to the master when he returned. They might
fail but they would have tried.
Mother Teresa said: “God doesn’t
require us to succeed; he only requires that we try.” How much you do for the
Lord isn’t as important as that you do something. We will all have to account
for what we did with God’s gifts, both small and large.
So
start today.
See if you can identify ways you can
“turn a profit” on your investments. Begin with your relationship with Jesus.
Maybe being more faithful to your time of prayer and Scripture reading can
bring you greater clarity. Or look to your family relationships to find one or
two little ways you can be a source of encouragement and help at home. Or move
beyond your family to find ways you can invest in your friendships, in your
parish, or in your community.
All three of these areas can become
wonderful “profit centers” if you take just a few small steps toward becoming a
better listener, a kinder presence, or a more caring contributor to the common
good.
It’s
not hard to bear fruit for the Master!
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