Fr. Frank Majka, SJ – The Bridge

Our Talent-Giving God

Jesus’ story of the talents is about a master who entrusts money (called “talents” in Jesus’ day) to his servants then leaves. He hopes to find a profit on his return, but only two of the three had something more to give him than what he’d left; the third buried it.

Clearly the story is about the master and the three servants, but the story’s also about God and us. God’s given us “talents,” that is, our skills and abilities, and expects we’ll do something profitable with them, not just bury them away.

Of course God doesn’t need us to use our talents. He can get along very well if we bury them. But if we don’t use our talents, we won’t have much to give God. And if we want a loving friendship with God, all the giving can’t be just on his side.

Soon, we Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving. When we do, let’s thank God for the talents he has given us. And since God says that one of the best ways to give back to him is to use our talents and gifts for others, how have we, our families, and our church communities done that this past year? Any thoughts?