Dear friends in Christ
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Our Lord tells us the parable of the talents. A man going on a journey entrusts his property to his servants, giving to each according to his ability. Two of them put their talents to good use and doubled what they have received, while the third, out of fear, buried his talent in the ground. When the master returns, he praises those who have been faithful: Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.
There is something deeply challenging about this parable. It reminds us that everything we have is ultimately a gift from God: our faith, our abilities, our opportunities, our time and even the circumstances of our lives. We are not owners but stewards of these gifts, and one day we shall be asked how we have used them. It is tempting to think that we have little to offer, that our contribution is insignificant, or that the gifts God has given us are not as great as those of others. But the Lord does not ask us to compare ourselves with our neighbour. He asks us to be faithful with what we have received. The tragedy of the third servant was not that he had been given less, but that he had done nothing with what he had been given. The Christian life is not about burying our faith, keeping it safely hidden away, or allowing it to become something that belongs only to Sunday. It is about putting our faith into practice: through prayer, generosity, kindness, forgiveness and service to others. We are called to make the love of Christ visible in the ordinary circumstances of our daily lives.
Next Sunday we shall celebrate the great Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. It is also National Youth Sunday, when we are invited to pray particularly for our young people and to encourage them to discover the gifts and talents God has entrusted to them. Christ the King calls each of us, young and old alike, to give Him first place in our lives. May our young people have the courage to recognise that they have something precious to offer the Church and the world, and may we, by our example and encouragement, help them to put those gifts at the service of Christ.
I would also like to remind everyone that our Forty Hours' Devotion is approaching at the end of this month. This beautiful period of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament is an opportunity for our parish to come together in adoration, thanksgiving and intercession. In the presence of Our Eucharistic Lord, we are reminded that the greatest gift entrusted to us is the gift of His own life. Let us make every effort to spend some time with Him, bringing before Him our families, our young people, our parish and all those in need of His grace. You might like to begin signing the lists at the back of the church for Watching during those days and to offer a candle which can be had from the Sacristy.
The parable of the talents leaves us with a question worth pondering: when the Lord comes to ask what we have done with the gifts He has given us, will we have something to show Him? May we never be content simply to bury our faith, but rather seek each day to make it grow, so that one day we may hear those wonderful words: Well done, good and faithful servant. God bless you!
Msgr Kevin Hale