Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25:21

In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, we hear about “a man going on a journey who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability” (Matthew 25:15). From the beginning of the story we are told that the servant who received just one talent is a man of little ability. Yet it is interesting to note that all God’s children receive their talents, even those who appear to have very minimal abilities.

The master departed and the first two servants “went off at once and traded” with their talents. The third servant, on the other hand, dug a hole in the ground and buried his one talent. Why did he do that? Because he was afraid he was going to lose it if he traded with it. He may have reasoned like this: “Well, those with more talents can afford to take a risk. If they lost a talent, they could make it up later. But me, I have only one talent. If I lose it, end of story! So I better play it safe and just take care of it.” Many of us are like this third servant. Because we do not see ourselves as possessing outstanding gifts and talents, we conclude that there is nothing that we can do.

Do you know someone who can sing but will not join the choir for fear of not being gifted enough? Do you know a young man who would like to spread the Gospel but is afraid of not knowing enough theology? When people like this end up doing nothing, they are following in the footsteps of the third servant who buried his one talent in the ground.

They surprise in the story comes when the master returns and demands an account from the servants. We discover that even though the first servant with five talents had made five more talents and the second servant with two talents had made two more talents, both of them receive exactly the same compliment: “Well done, good and faithful servant, you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25: 21- 23). Both are rewarded not in proportion to how many talents each has made but in proportion to how many talents each of them started off with.

All of us have received at least one talent. Our responsibility is not only to accept the gift of faith. We need to increase and add value to the faith This entails much risk and inconvenience. But, unless we do this, we stand in danger of losing the faith just as the third servant lost his talent.

The way to increase our faith is to put it to work and make it bear fruit.

Fr. Hugh Duffy