Thirty-Third Wednesday of Ordinary Time

‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.’ He said to him, ‘With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding man, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’ And to those standing by he said, ‘Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten.’ But they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’ He replied, ‘I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.’

We are all given gifts by God and He asks us to use them for His greater glory. However, if we hide our time, talents, and treasures or do not use them as God intended, then we will suffer a similar fate to the fearful servant. We shall have nothing to show for all the gifts God has given us and at the end of our lives, He will take away all that we have and we shall be left with nothing but our regrets. We should know that God wants us to do more with our lives, then merely survive or succeed in our worldly endeavors. He wants us to bear good fruit, to bring in a spiritual profit, and be willing to harvest where we are needed. We cannot do that if we are afraid to take risks for the sake of the Kingdom of God. So let us be faithful stewards of the time, talents, and treasures God has given us, lest we perish at the point of God’s justice.

What are we doing with the time, talents, and treasures God has given us? What do we have to offer Him now? How can we make our lives a living gift to God and His children?

O Lord, help us to use our God-given gifts to bear much fruit.

Amen.