The WORD in Other Words by Fr Antonio Enerio SVD (Switzerland)
Saturday Week 21 Ordinary Time, 1 Thes 4:9-11, Mt 23:9b, 10b
A man in a group being received into the church heard the pastor say, “Now God has given each of you a unique talent. When you join the church, you are expected to serve God with whatever abilities you have.” This particular man was a reformed criminal. Serving God was a little out of his line, but he wanted to do what he could.
So he went to the pastor and said, “Preacher, church work is something I‘m not really familiar with, but I can fix the church‘s electric meter so that every other day it will run backwards. That way you‘ll never have to pay to the electric company.” Well, some talents are just inappropriate for use in the service of God, no matter how sincerely they‘re offered!
But all of us have at least one talent that is valuable to the church. Some have great intellectual capabilities, and some do not. Some have the ability to project and articulate their thoughts, and some cannot. Some have physical prowess and attractive looks, and some do not. Oh, there are also some who seem to have it all.
However, the important thing to remember in today‘s parable is that each servant was given something. No one was left idle. And that is the issue for us. Are we doing what we can with what we have? Most of us can do better, and the Master will be pleased if we do.
