RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

St. Monica (Memorial)

by Lorenz S. Centino, Jr.

Matthew 25: 14 - 30
14	"For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property;
15	to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
16	He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more.
17	So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more.
18	But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.
19	Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20	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.'
21	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.'
22	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.'
23	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.'
24	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;
25	so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'
26	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?
27	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.
28	So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
29	For to every one 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.
30	And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

A BLESSED SATURDAY TO ALL!!!

Every time Many Pacquiao climbs into the square ring, the whole nation stands still in expectant wonder how the Pacman will overpower his opponent. Recently, our national football team Azkals win the hearts of Filipinos to gain interest in football, and supported the national team literally rain or shine, win or lose. And more recently, the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation team row with national pride in their hearts capturing five gold medals and also capturing the nation’s attention as they compete without support and funding from our Philippine Sports Commission holding on only to their self-belief and self-confidence that they can get it through triumphantly. Indeed, they even become an inspiration to their competitors. These are just some of the magnificent display of TALENTS our fellow Filipinos have shown to make us be proud of ourselves as Filipinos.

At the surface, the Gospel today is using the language of business or economics in driving out its message. It relates to us how servants receive “talents” from their master who is going on a trip. In its monetary sense, a “talent” is a coin which can either be silver or gold the value of which will depend on what standard is to be used. Its exact value is not much of importance here than what it is meant to teach us. Three servants receive different “talents” from their master. One receives five, the other receives two, and the last receives one. The issue at hand here is not who receives more or less but what each of the three recipients do with what they received. In life, what matter is not WHAT kind of talents we receive form the Lord but HOW we use/invest them in preparation for his coming. 

The Gospel intends to show to us the value of being RESPONSIBLE with the GIFTS we receive from the Lord. Those who are given with five and two talents doubled what they received by trading. The one who receives a single talent gives back the same talent he received for he kept it by burying it down under the ground, as to protect and preserve it, instead of depositing it to a bank for an interest. The master is full of praise to the two servants who invested and doubled their “talents.” However, the master is full of indignation and resentment towards the unproductive and irresponsible servant. And so the irresponsible servant is stripped of everything that he has and is thrown out into the outer dark weeping and gnashing his teeth. 

Literally, God give us TALENTS or GIFTS that we can use to be and become what we can be. He equipped us with different abilities and skills to face the various challenges and concerns of life. He endowed us with physical and spiritual faculties to make ourselves become better each day and mature into the best person we can become. The challenge of the Gospel today is to become a RESPONSIBLE STEWARD of the “talents” God has given to us. To become one is to cultivate and use our talents into something productive for the good of everyone. Mediocrity as a result to being indifferent, unresponsive and unconcerned in using oneself for something beneficial, advantageous and rewarding to others is a disloyalty and betrayal to the gifts God has bestowed. God has trusted us so much that he entrusted to us gifts that we can use for the benefit of everyone. God does not want us to become his WORTHLESS servants.

We are meant to become responsible stewards of God’s gifts to us. It is only by being so that God can use us to become the ANSWER to someone’s prayer. We become a responsible steward only by being a servant who always responds to God’s bidding. God wants us to serve him using the talents, skills, abilities, all the gifts he gives us in serving others. In doing so, God will bless us abundantly. The more we invest our gifts in the service to others will also be the overflowing blessings from God will come upon us. The more generous we are in investing our TALENTS in the service of our neighbors, the more God will be full of praise for us. The stingy we are in utilizing our talents and gifts for the good of others, the empty handed we become. We would be empty with the real treasure that can secure us a place in heaven, and rather be weeping and gnashing our teeth in the outer darkness.


For your personal comments, you can reach me through this email: sanolorenz@yahoo.com