Gifts and Talents

Today, the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, has been designated by Pope Francis as the World Day of the Poor. It’s a time to acknowledge our brothers and sisters suffering from poverty, famine, persecution, and lack of hope. It seems especially fitting as we gather this week to give thanks for our many blessings not to forget our call to serve those less fortunate and in need throughout the world.

The Gospel this morning fits nicely with that theme of service. In the parable, a very wealthy man goes off on a journey, giving three servants significant sums to manage in his absence. While the exact amount of a talent in the time of Jesus isn’t certain, it’s estimated to be between 10- and 20-years wages for a common laborer – it’s a lot of money. To one servant he gives five talents, to another two, and to a third one talent, each according to his abilities. When the master returns, he calls the three servants to give an accounting of the talents he left with them. The one who was given five doubled the sum, as did the one given two. The master, obviously pleased, congratulates the two and promises them further rewards and opportunities for greater service.

The third servant, though, did NOT use the talent he’d been given. Instead, he buried it out of fear of doing something wrong. When confronted by his master, all he can do is return the talent, and offer excuses for why he didn’t put it to good use. And for that, the master orders the lazy servant to be cast out into the darkness.

The message for us seems pretty clear. Each of us are given different gifts, different talents, according to our unique abilities and strengths. And we’re called to put them to good use. As Paul reminds us in Romans chapter 12, we’re called to EXERCISE whatever gifts we’ve been given – if called to ministry, in ministering; if a teacher, to teach. Good speakers need to encourage others, leaders to lead with diligence; and those well off to contribute generously. And sometimes / simply being there for someone is the greatest gift of all.

But the other point here is that the gifts we’re given aren’t just for us. Our gifts are meant to come THROUGH us, not just TO us. We tend to think of our unique talents and abilities as ours alone, granted to us by God for our use. But they’re really not. We’re called to use them to serve others. They’re not really ours anyway. They’re on loan to us, just like the talents given to the servants in the parable. And when the Master comes back, He too is going to want an accounting for how we used them.

But all too often we underestimate the value of gifts we’ve been given. We spend too much time looking at what we DON’T have, reasons why we CAN’T make a difference in the world around us. It’s too hard. I’m too insignificant. How can I make a difference? So we bury our talents like the lazy servant; afraid to put ourselves out there as true disciples; afraid to take the risk that maybe we’ll fail.

We need to be more like the second servant. Most of us are probably “two-talent” servants anyway, ordinary people filling the pews, trying to figure out what we should do to serve Christ. We don’t turn our back on the Master like the third servant. But we’re not really “five-talent” servants either – the “living saints” who seem to have an abundance of gifts both natural and supernatural as they go about making the world a better place. We’re not jealous of their talents. We’re just not THEM.

And that’s okay. St. Teresa of Calcutta famously said, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” And that’s all we’re called to do. We need to get to work, and do what we can // with the gifts we’ve been given // for all those in need around us. It’s not about the gifts we’ve been given, but how well we use them. Remember, even though the “five-talent” servant brought back two and a half times what the “two-talent” servant did, they both got the same reward.

That’s the message of the parable for all of us. We don’t need to be great. We just need to focus on doing the small things / of our small lives / with great love / and great faithfulness. And if we can truly do that, we can look forward to sharing the Master’s joy along with five-talent-servants like Saint John Paul II, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, and Saint Damien of Molokai. God doesn’t call us to become them. He simply calls each of us to become a better ME. But as you grow in grace, you might be surprised. For “to the one who has more, more will be given.”

St. John Chrysostom once wrote: “As for this life, when death comes and the theater is deserted, when all remove their masks of wealth or of poverty and depart hence, judged only by their works, they will be seen for what they are: some truly rich, others poor.” And how will we be judged? Pope Francis sums it up nicely: “At the end of our lives, then, the truth will be revealed. The pretense of this world will fade, with its notion that success, power, and money give life meaning. Whereas love – the love we have given – will be revealed as true riches.”

There’s an old poem that says, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.” The author of that poem is not well known. But there’s another saying: “Whatever you did for the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’” The author of that is very well known. And you know his name. As we celebrate our Thanksgiving this week, then, let us be mindful not just of the great gifts we’ve been given, but of our call to use those gifts to serve the poor and needy among us. May your Thanksgiving be fruitful and blessed.