We have just heard about the all-too familiar Parable of the Talents. The master entrusted some investments to his servants – each according to his ability. As accounting day arrives, those who did well to make the most of his investment were entrusted with more investments & responsibilities, but those who failed to maximize his investments were deprived of further investments & responsibilities. Such a simple business principle. You reap what you sow. Same as in computer language, it is called GIGO (Garbage IN, Garbage Out).
GIGO – reaping what we sow is perhaps one of the many obvious lesson we might from the parable of the sower. And perhaps, the lesson about held-in trust.
Held-in trust reminds us that all our possessions now are ours only in-trust. Meaning, what we have & own now are given only to us in trust. We are just stewards entrusted with what we have now. How we use, maximize & invest all that we have now are not for you to keep but for you to make life better for all. And what we do with our entrusted treasures now in this life is also reflected in our life with God to come. In other words, God’s kingdom is how we treasure God’s graces & blessings in our hearts. God’s kingdom then is where our heart is and should be.
Now, to learn more about the lessons of GIGO & Held-in Trust from the parable of the talents, consider also this other modern-day parable….
In a dream, a rich man found himself at the heaven’s door with two angels. The angels said: “Welcome Home, Sir”. He was brought inside a posh five-starred hotel, where he was also welcomed by his former staff, friends, family & colleagues who have gone before him. Glad to be in heaven meeting again his people, he was then led to his room at 175th floor. Coming down from the elevator, he and the angels passed through several VIP rooms. But eventually, he was led into a storage room near the staircase with only a cushion bed on the floor. Shocked with what he got, he complained: “That’s it? Only this pathetic room?”. But an angel replied: “Well, that’s only we can do & set up for you…. from the few materials & resources you have sent here.”
Remember Jesus advices us: “Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Mt. 6:19-20)
Set our hearts, Lord towards Your Kingdom at all times so that we may now lost our ways & not lose Your ways but rather live our lives here now on earth more directed and meaningful, and thus fully enjoy our being with You now and forever. Amen.
“Last two minutes”. Usually in a basketball game, the last two minutes is scheduled as “Time-out” for both teams. At that moment, the game is paused for a minute break to allow both teams to assess their situation in view of the coming end-game. This is the chance for both teams to have a wider look on where they are and how they fair at that period of the game. It is an opportunity for teams to have a reality-check in terms of their strengths and weaknesses as well as of the possible opportunities and threats at this stage of the game, in view of plotting a game-plan strategy for the end-game. The “last two-minutes time-out” of the basketball game is thus an occasion for each team to consider at the last two minutes of the game their resources and limitations in relation to their aspired goal and end-game and their remaining game-plan.
Just recently early this month of November, our observance and celebration of All Saints Day and All Souls Day respectively may have been also “a last two-minutes time out” occasion for us, Christians. As we prayed for the eternal repose of our saintly and beloved dead brothers and sisters, we may have also slowed down, have a pause and break from our busy schedules in order to consider not only the death and lives of those who have gone before us, but also our own lives so-far now as we are still in this life. Yes, as we considered the lives of those who have gone before us these days, we are also confronted with the reality of the mortality of our very lives now as we are still alive living here. Like the last two minutes time-out in a basketball game, the last two months of the year can be a chance for us to consider where and how we are in our lives in relation to our game in life – our dreams and aspirations as well as what we are to do to improve our lives now for the better, and above all in relation to our salvation.
Behind the story of the five wise and five foolish virgins in our gospel today is the call for us to be vigilant and ready. Jesus wants us to be Wise enough to be prepared and awake, and not to be foolish enough to be not ready and unaware. When we hear this challenge, many people think that they have to be ready for death so as not to be caught unaware. Rightly so, because when we came into the world, death has become natural to us. We know that no man lives forever in this world. Death is our lot, and reminds us of how limited our life is. We have only one life, lived in a given time. And it is wise enough to be prepared for our coming death.
However, much more than our coming death are meant in our gospel today. Our gospel today is all about how ready and prepared are we to meet and experience the Lord IN our lives here and now, and not in our coming death later. In other words, the challenge of Jesus for us to be wise enough to be vigilant and ready is for Here and Now while we are still living, and not for There and Later on our death. Thus, the readiness and vigilance we are to be is not in view of our end – our death, but as to how we have lived and spent our life so-far here and now as we meet and encounter the Lord in our daily lives.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “When you were born you were crying and everyone else was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you are the one who is smiling and everyone else is crying”. True enough, in our death, we wish to be remembered not how we died, but how we live our lives to the fullness with the Lord. It is not the end-game itself – the Winning or Losing but about the GAME itself – How we lived our lives and play our game with the Lord in life, that matters most.
As we are still living in this world now after pandemic times – where when we caught ourselves unaware, unprepared & uninformed, we have yet to learn how to be wise & street-smart enough to be aware and ready to meet the Lord now in the many ways he comes to us. He is the “Word of God made flesh”, the God with Us, our companion in the journey of life, who lives with Us. Blessed then are those who are ready and alert to Welcome the Lord in our lives, not in our death. So, Are you ready now? Handa ka na ba?
On our “last two-minutes time-out” moment, we pray that we may be wisely awake and cleverly prepared enough to welcome Him in our lives now as we meet Him in our church, our brothers & sisters, our fellowmen and others, in our day to day lives. Amen.
What makes angels & saints blessed? What makes devils & sinners cursed?
St. Augustine once said: “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” It is a matter of pride & humility then that makes people saints or sinner, angels or saints.
You see, pride is concerned with WHO is right; humility is concerned with WHAT is right. Though both are concerned about what is right, pride is more on the authority & power, against humility, which is more on the moral principles of right & good. Pride encourages us to scream, “That’s just the way I am” in the hope that we will not hear the soft whisper of humility, asking us, “Yes, but is that the way you should be?”. “Well, this is Me… but should Me be it?” Ganito kasi ako… pero dapat ba akong ganito? Ani naman gud ko… pero angayan ba nga ani lang ko? Pride is being influenced by Shallow Loud Noisy voice of the evil that makes us artificial/fake/plastic, while humility is being inspired by Gentle yet Deep Soft Sound of the Spirit that makes us real & true, warts & all, broken yet blessed before God and others.
In the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus proclaims us through the Beatitudes how Blessed we are (for the Kingdom of God, comfort, inheritance, satisfaction, mercy, being God’s children & Kingdom of Heaven). We are blessed not because of our actions – of what we have done & doing in our lives but moreso because of God’s graces – of what God gives us & God is doing in our lives. We are more so blessed then because of God grace & action, regardless of our doings. However, God’s gift of blessings for us is fully enjoyed & fulfilled in life if and when we are humble enough to acknowledge, value and share these with others. Our humility makes us more well-disposed and appreciative of the fruits of God’s blessings in our lives, and willing to partake it with others, though our pride could render us insensitive and hinders us to fully benefit from God’s grace, and thus making ours and other people’s lives miserable and cursed. Remember the Lord warns to us today in the gospel: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Last Wednesday was All Saint’s Day. We honor ALL saints – both the recognized & unrecognized officially by Church. You see, saints or saintly people are in essence like us Christians who humbly witnesses in their faith and lives God’s blessings to all. They are Christians like us – “the people that longs to see your face, O Lord”, who not only by their words & deeds but also by their faith and life, have struggled and still struggling (along with suffering, mistakes, & success) to be humbly real and true to their chosen vocation in life & to fulfill their special mission in God’s grace and kingdom, and in effect have greatly influenced other people’s faith & life.
Simply put, saints are fellow-Christians who have greatly infected and influenced now our very person and faith as Christian. Somehow and in someway, because of them & through them, we become Christians now. So, think of all saintly people whom you have crossed paths in life and have made you know, love & follow Christ in your life. Perhaps parents, grandparents, relatives, teachers, neighbors, catechists, friends, priests, sisters – both living and dead. Yes, both living and dead, as long as they have influenced and are still greatly influencing your life then-now and always as Christian, because they are & have been SAINTS to you and others. Remember and include them in your prayers these days. Eternal rest to those who have already gone before us. More blessings & witnessing for those who are still with us now, like you and I are still humbly leading our Christian lives saintly – struggling to be true to our calling, fulfilling our mission to be witnesses of God’s blessings and hoping also to influence other’s faith and life – blessed yet broken we maybe.
Again, being blessed or being cursed, being saint or sinner is a matter of humility and pride. Our life nowadays amidst challenges can be a Curse if and when in pride we are ungrateful, ungracious, and greedy of God’s blessings before us… but can be a Blessing if and when we humbly recognize, value, and share God’s blessing with one another, especially those who are in need at this time. We all do need God’s blessings at this time in history. So Let us be a Blessing than a Curse to one another. Rather than remain to be a proud sinner (a pain in the… neck 😉), try to be a humble saint (a helping hand, a gentle presence, a lending ear) to others. With the examples & witness of the saints, may we joyfully admit How Blessed we are by humbly saying: “This is not mine only but Ours to Share” & not by proudly insisting: “This is Mine alone and not yours”. So may it be. Hinaut pa unta. Amen.
A story once told about the Dalai Lama and the world leaders. Once, the Dalai Lama was invited as the keynote speaker to a gathering of world leaders. The world leaders were looking forward for this gathering in order to hear from the Dalai Lama about his message to the world today. They have heard and known a lot about the Dalai Lama. Now they are excited to meet the Dalai Lama, himself and hoping that he could offer some perspectives and solutions on our world of war, conflicts, strife and divisions.
As the Dalai Lama arrived at the venue, he was received with great honor and applause. Before the world leaders, he said: “My simple message to you and to the world is “Love one another”. Then he went back to his seat and kept quiet. The world leaders were all shocked with the simplicity of his message. They commented: “That’s all. We just came to hear such stupid message? We have heard it before. There is nothing new about his message. Does he think we don’t know about it?” So, they were frustrated. Some of them started to walk out and insulted the Dalai Lama and the organizer. And then suddenly, the Dalai Lama stood up, went back to the podium and addressed the plenum. He said to them, “If you find it difficult to practice love, try not to hurt each other.”
In our gospel today, Jesus gives us also a simple and direct message: “LOVE”. The greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, your soul and mind. And to love another as yourself.
Like the Pharisees of his time and the world leaders in the story, we can say that we also have heard it before. There is nothing new about such message. But sad to say to you, Jesus has the same message for us now, especially now in the world of war, division, contradictions and political turmoil: LOVE. As it was from the beginning, now and always be, Jesus has the same message to us Christian & for the world today: LOVE.
We emphasize however that for Jesus, to love is not only a commandment that we should be aware and conscious of. Love for Jesus is not a Concept or Idea but a Reality. Each of us has not only known about love & know what love is, but we also have experienced what and how it is to love. As a song suggest, we were born because of love, therefore we must also live in love. Because God loves us through others, we must also love God in return through others. Love is also an Action, meaning we must also practice love with one another. It is not enough then to just believe in love, but we must put love into practice and proclaim love by our words and actions. To love God and loving others, then is a Decision. We love God and others because we are not commanded to do so, but we choose to do so. We choose to love God and others. The word “Love” then is not only a noun, but also a verb & our resolution.
Henri Nouwen, a modern day spiritual Christian guru once said: “In the Scripture, God says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” This is a very fundamental truth of your identity. This is who you are whether you feel it or not. You belong to God from eternity to eternity. Life is just a little opportunity for you during a few years to say: “I love you, too”. Meaning, our earthly life here now as God’s children is our chance to love God in return thru others. Loving others then is our opportunity to respond back & say “I love you too” to God’s love for us. Yes, loving others is our response to God loving us, and loving us is God’s response to our loving Him & others.
Perhaps we ask ourselves: How’s your lovelife? How is you life of love here & now? Do we love God with all our heart, soul and mind? Well, we might not be perfect in doing so, but that is what we are trying & committing to do. But the best way to test our love of God is: do you love your cranky husband or wife? Do we still love our aging irritable parents? Can we still love our neighbor who cheated us, our friend who betrayed, our relative who hurt & disrespect us?
Yes, experience tells us that to love God in others is difficult. But for Jesus, in loving God here & now, we must experience, put into practice and choose Love in our lives and in our world today. At the same time, as the Dalai Lama reminds us: “If you find it difficult to practice love, try not to hurt each other.”
On the final stage of a job interview, the job-interviewer asked a Catholic applicant for sale representative position, a question: “Supposing in the course of your negotiation & transaction, one of our rich prospect client responds to you and said – ‘I will buy your products as long as you provide me with a lady-companion as I enjoy your city during my whole stay here’. What and how would you respond to such costumer’s conditions?” The applicant, being one among the last two final contenders for the job as well as an active Catholic church youth leader, paused for a moment to think deeply, and eventually reply: “I would tell the costumer as civil as possible that our prestigious company is not in any way involved with escort servicing as well as pimping is not part of my job description. I sell our company’s good products and not my soul.”
This story is to point out & emphasize that our gospel today is more than just about Jesus and Taxes, as well as about the separation of Church & State. Yes, we do tend to read & interpret our gospel today to highlight Jesus’ stance about a controversial social and political issue of His time: about Paying taxes, or religion & politics. Beyond the issue of taxes & politics, Jesus here is addressing a much deeper issue of personal principles and spiritual commitment. Yes, what is at stake here is His deeper faith and commitment to God and humanity – our Christian moral principles.
Remember, the Pharisees and their disciples as well as the Herodians were there not to know what is right, good and proper but to test and probe Jesus of His loyalties and principles in faith and life with malice. Yes, beyond common issues-raised, there was malicious intent of fault-finding & values-testing & scrutiny, Thus, our gospel today is not only about how smart the response of Jesus is, but moreso about how our world can be so cruel and evil to the point of misguiding us to put our Christian values, principles and faith in jeopardy or under compromise.
We cannot deny that our today’s world is a world where our Christian principles and faith are tested and probe. In a world where the consumerism and corporate ideals are promoted, everything, not only material things but also the self, relationships, moral principles and faith, become negotiable & for-sale. Like the job interviewee, we sometimes find ourselves nowadays in situations where our very person and identity is on the line and under fire – where people are willing to sell and buy lives for their evil and corrupt ways to the point that we resort to so-called “soul for sale” or commercializing our very souls. Thus, the very heart of the issue here is the real threat & malice of these corrupt and evil practices in the world to our human and Christian principles today.
As Jesus has dealt with this situation of His time, Jesus today is directing us to the following challenges:
Beyond the issue of taxes, and of other human pressing social, religious and political issues of our times, Jesus wants us first to be aware and remain vigilant of this existent threat & malice to our principles in our world today. All of us (not only common people but also civic and church leaders) can be knowingly and unknowingly be victims of this corrupt ways and evil threats. Moral consciousness and awareness are thus important. So, Beware. Be-aware & vigilant of the dangers-done & malice-caused by consumerism & corporate capitalistic world.
Second, Jesus teaches that as we engage with the world, there are fundamental Christian principles that in conscience, simply cannot be compromised and negotiated. Unfortunately, moral decadence in our society today are often caused by Filipino Christians who gamble, sold, negotiate, and compromise their principles to malicious and evil ways. We should not put ourselves and others at the edge of selling & trading their souls in jeopardy. So, Be firm & strong of our Christian faith values & principles.
And lastly, Jesus particularly upholds & directs us to two non-negotiable and non-comprised Christian principles. First, Think of common good over and above me-good or self-good. This would mean that win-win situation is not necessary and always better than with the for-the-sake-of-others situation. Self-denial or selflessness is still more noble and humane than self-gratification or self-fullness. Second, consider righteousness first before social acceptance and approval. This means that in making moral decision, we should consider first our right and proper relationship with God over and above keeping-up with Joneses, flowing with the current tides, trends, and mob; or “sabay sa tama”.
Simply put, Be AWARE and VIGILANT with our today’s corrupt and evil ways that putting our Christian principles in jeopardy. Be STEADFAST and PERSISTENT of our non-negotiable and non-comprise Christian principles, especially Upholding Common Good and Righteousness over and above me-good, self-good and social acceptance and approval.
Lord, Help us to be Your worthy witnesses & proclaimers of God’s kingdom today, as we do our best to be aware, strong & firm in living-out and upholding our Christian faith- values & principles in our challenging world today.
A DOSE OF GOD TODAY 