Gospel (Mt 25:14-30)
“For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
“For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.’”
Commentary
The parable in the Gospel for today’s Mass urges us to consider our correspondence to God’s gifts. We all have both human gifts and divine grace. And in realizing this it is very important not to compare ourselves with others, thinking that an injustice has been done to us for not having what we think others have. Each one of us is unique and unrepeatable; each of us is the object of God’s very special love.
God has our whole life present before his sight. He sees the talents we begin our journey in life with, and how we foster or curtail them along the way through our own decisions. And this is something marvelous to realize: that our life is not written in stone, that we are truly protagonists in it. God constantly illumines, suggests, encourages, consoles and heals us, which enables us to take the helm and freely guide the course of our own existence.
A person’s worth is not the same as the gifts they have received. Some people have received a lot and have responded a lot in turn. But others have received a lot and responded very little, just as some have received less and have responded a lot. In any case, the smallness or greatness of the gifts received cannot be valued with our usual way of measuring and valuing things. Because what makes a person truly great and what transforms the world is faith that works through love. And this is what the one who had received only one talent lacked.
We are all capable of love. Life itself helps us discern what our talents are and how far we can aspire to reach with them at each moment. But we can always aspire to love, and without measure. Because love has no limits. Moreover, God enhances our talents according to the measure of our love. So it is vital never to be discouraged about what we can achieve, even if it may seem small compared to what others seem to achieve. Our path is personal: it is in our hands to make it great, because it depends on the love in our heart as we walk along it.