Coffee With God

Reflection: Matthew 25: 14-30

Pope Francis compares this parable with the life of every individual. He says, this parable has a beginning, a middle and an end, which shed light on the beginning, the middle and the end of our lives. The beginning. Everything begins with a great good. The master does not keep his wealth to himself, but gives it to his servants; five talents to one, two to another, one to a third, “to each according to his ability” (Mt 25:15). It has been calculated that a single talent was equivalent to the income of some twenty years’ work: it was of enormous value, and would be sufficient for a lifetime. This is the beginning. For us too, everything always begins with grace, not with our own efforts – with the grace of God, entrusting different talents to each of us. The life we have received, the good qualities that we possess, the indelible beauty God has given us by making us in his image… This is the huge amount of talent that God has left with us. It is sufficient for our life time. But often times, we look only at the things we lack, and we complain about what we lack. We are seldom content or satisfied with what we have. We are so obsessed with the phrase, “If only…”! If only I had that job, if only I had that home, if only I didn’t have this or that problem, … Those illusory words – if only! – prevent us from seeing the good all around us. In the Gospel, good servants are those who take risks. They are not fearful and over-cautious, they do not cling to what they possess. If goodness is not invested, it is lost. How many people spend their lives simply accumulating possessions, concerned only about the good life and not the good they can do. Jesus addressed those servants who took the risk, calling them “faithful” (vv. 21, 23). If you do not take risks, you will end up like the third servant: burying his abilities, your spiritual and material riches and everything”. There is no faithfulness without risk. Fidelity to God means handing over our life, letting our carefully laid plans be disrupted by our need to serve. “But I have my plans, and if I have to serve…”. Let your plans be upset, go and serve. In God’s Kingdom, there is no room for people who are lazy and scared. The third servant had said that “he was afraid”. Fear is a game of the devil and it shows our lack of faith and trust in God. One who trusts God, will not afraid of anything. He or she will cherish the freedom of being a child of God and will dare to take the risks.