“Well done, good servant! You have been faithful.”

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Well done, good servant! You have been faithful.”

Gospel Reading Luke 19:11-28 While people were listening to Jesus speak, he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the Kingdom of God would appear there immediately. So he said, “A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’ His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’ But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. The first came forward and said, ‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’ He replied, ‘Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.’ Then the second came and reported, ‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’ And to this servant too he said, ‘You, take charge of five cities.’ Then the other servant came and said, ‘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.’” After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus tells the parable of the gold coins. This parable talks about our loyalty and commitment to God. In this first part of the parable we see that the nobleman, God, trusts his servants because he gives the servants with his wealth. The servants are to trade and barter with the riches until the nobleman returns. God has entrusted us with all his graces. In our baptism, we are filled abundantly with the grace of the Holy Spirit to live a life in the church; in our Confirmation, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit to live out our faith for others; and in receiving the Eucharist, we are nourished with the body and blood of Christ to strength our ability to grow our faith. Each of us has been given a bounty of grace from which to barter and trade. These blessing which God bestows upon us are our test. When the nobleman returned he called forth his servants to see what they did with the money. The first came forward and said, “Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.” And the nobleman replied, “Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.” The second servant came forward and said, “Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.” And he said to his servant, “You, take charge of five cities.” Then the third servant came forward saying, “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.” To which the nobleman replied, “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.”

Through our baptism, we are all servants of God. We are all commanded to go forth and multiple and take charge of the earth to make it fruitful and bountiful. God gives us the graces we need to do His will. The kingdom of God is present among us. God has entrusted us many talents and gifts to help foster the kingdom of God here and now. If we use these gifts to help prosper the kingdom, God will repay us with a bounty beyond our comprehension. The size of our reward is based on the size of our heart. The more we do, the more we give to others, the more God entrusts upon us. Everyone who gives of his talents is repaid. But if we hoard our talents and gifts and keep them hidden in a napkin, we will be punished and lose everything we have been given. To waste the gifts which God has given us is the same as telling God that you do not love him or that we do not want him in our lives. Jesus said, “With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant.” Because of our free will, God does not force us to do anything. It is through your own desire and actions that you will become separated from God. If you do not use his gifts, you are saying I do not want to be in communion with you for eternity. By your own desire, you shall be punished for eternity.

Our reward lies in the kingdom of God. We all hope to spend eternity in the kingdom with God. Eternity starts today. Do not wait until tomorrow because it may be too late. What gifts and talents has God given you? Are you using this gifts and talents to further the kingdom of God or do you squander the gifts and keep them hidden from others? At this time of Thanksgiving, we should focus thanking God for giving us gifts to share with others.

A Simple

Oh dear Father in Heaven,

You grace me with so many gifts and talents.

Give me the strength and wisdom to use these gifts wisely

So they will bring about the kingdom of God to others.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon