On this penultimate Sunday of the Church year, we hear the familiar parable of the talents. Now, talent was a measure of money in the ancient world. One talent was equal to about 80 pounds of silver. At today’s prices, that would be $28,160 (at $22 per ounce). So imagine receiving about $141,000, or $56,000, or $28,000 from your boss and being told to take care of it. What would you do?
The parable’s point is not about money but about what we do with the gifts we’ve been given. Do we use them wisely, or do we hide them? Do we share, or do we squander? Do we recognize that everything we do here on earth has implications for the hereafter?
These last few days of the Church Year afford us the opportunity for reflection about who we are and what we are doing. We may be caught unaware if we are only concerned with the current day and are not looking toward our future. While we do not know the day nor the hour when the Lord will come, we should live each day as if it were our last.
Now, some may find this contradictory: living each day as if it were the last one and at the same time preparing for the future; however, the point is to always be in a state of constant improvement. We should approach each day as if we were to die, so everything we do should be directed towards giving praise and glory to God. At the same time, we look forward to seeing God face-to-face, so our actions should reflect that relationship. Each day is an opportunity to improve upon the previous day.
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, think about those talents and gifts you are grateful for and ask the Lord how you can better utilize them to make the world a better place.
As part of our St. Therese tradition, we will have a Thanksgiving vigil Mass on Wednesday, November 22nd, at 7 PM. There is no Mass or adoration on Thursday. We will have Mass on Friday, November 25th, at 8:30 AM.
Have a great holiday,
Msgr. John
