Next Sunday we celebrate the feast of Christ the king and conclude the church year. With the beginning of advent we start the new Church year. Today a week before ending the church year we are invited to reflect on our life. We are invited to think over our past in view of the future.
God has given us a definite period of life. We can reflect on how we spend our time? What could I attain in my life and what yet I want to attain? What is the role of God in my life? What does faith in God means for me? God has given us a period of time as a gift. We should be responsible to make use of our time. To show the importance of our responsible way of living Jesus said the parable of the Talents.
The man who went on Journey called on a servant and gave him five talents with which he was supposed to do business. Another servant he gave two talents and a third one he gave one talent. He demanded his servants to report him about their activity when he would be back home.
Similar is what God is doing with us. He has given us many talents and many possibilities in oder that we could live our life in constant relation with God.
The one who got five talents managed to gain five more through his hard work and the one who got two managed to gain two more. But the one who gut one talent was unsatisfied. He felt inferiority. He thought he would not gain power, wealth, recognition and influence with his small talent. Therefore he was lazy and did not do anything.
With this parable we experience that God gives us different talents as He wishes. It is not important what and how much talents one has obtained. But it is important how one deals with it and what it does out of it. God demands us to do hard work, to make use of creativity and to increase and develop our talents . This parable teaches us that we should serve God and people with our talents what ever they may be, small or big. If some one do not develop his talents and remain lazy he has no place in the kingdom of God.
During these last days of the Church year let us reflect on how sincerely we are
Make use of our talents to serve God and the people of God. Let us be thankful, hard working and creative. God bless you.
Fr. Joseph Pandiappallil MCBS