I remember Lynlyn, a working student my mother sent to school several years ago. While staying in our home and assisting my mom with the domestic chores,
she diligently completed her college degree in Education. Lynlyn was truly admirable. Instead of complaining about life’s poverty
and deprivation, she faithfully faced every single day doing what she could with
the little that life had given her. I remember whenever
I was home, I would notice her industriousness in doing the house chores and
her capacity to endure extended hours of studying and completing her class
requirements. Eventually, she graduated and took the teacher’s board examination. I was, by chance, at home on the day of the release of the
result. I asked her if she made it. She
smiled sheepishly and nodded! Lynlyn is now a teacher.
When life seems to have given us very little as
compared to the abundance the others enjoy, it’s so easy to wallow in the mud
of self-pity. I think, Lynlyn stands for a person
who has been given less in life but does not succumb to the temptation of
defeat. Instead, she rises above the
seeming unfairness of life by capitalizing whatever little she has got.
Today’s gospel is the Parable of the Talents
(Mt. 25:14-30). Three servants are entrusted with five, two, and one talent
respectively to be invested in the master’s absence. Talent
was the largest unit of currency known at that time. Other translations render a talent as a
thousand silver pieces. Hence, the first
servant is entrusted with five thousand silver pieces, the second with two
thousand, the third with one thousand silver pieces. Today we understand talents as some skills
and personal qualities we are gifted with.
While the parable does not intend to legitimize, much less glorify, the
inequalities in life, it instructs us about our sense of responsibility
especially in view of the final accounting at the end of time. We are accountable to our Master. Our accountability is in direct proportion to
the abilities with which we have been entrusted.
Much is expected from whom much is given. Hence, the master in the parable is happy
with the first two servants who manage to double the amount they have entrusted
with. But while the master does not expect much from him who has been given
very little, he still expects at least whatever enterprising spirit that could
be harnessed with whatever little resources made available. Hence, the third servant who just buried his
talent out of his negative notion of his master is rightly met with his
master’s anger and punishment.
In application to life, I submit the following
lessons:
There is no use complaining about what we do
not have in life. Focusing too much in what we do not have can lead us to
self-pity and defeat. We would rather do well appreciating who we are and what
we have, even how little it is. This appreciation brings hope and strengthens
our determination to overcome the lack in our life. To those who are given less in life, God does
not expect much more than what He has given them. But He surely invites them to
show that they can be trusted even in small matters: “Since you were faithful
in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities” (Mt. 25:21). Mother
Teresa of Calcutta is known to have said this: Not all of us can do great
things but we all can do small things with great love.” So, stop complaining.
Be faithful with the small things entrusted to you. Carry it out with great
love. You’ll see that the world is a little better because of you.
“With great power comes great responsibility.”
To those who are blessed with plenty in life, it’s good to remember that much
is expected from you. Many people end up
as underachievers because they do not put to use the gifts they have been
blessed with. Or they recognize their gifts but they refuse to accept the
responsibility. So they spend life wasting what they have been given unable to
contribute to the transformation of society and the world into a better place. Underachievers are, needless to say, a real
disappointment to God, the giver of gifts. When we experience God’s generosity,
let us be grateful. Gratitude is appreciation of what we have been endowed with
and a commitment to return the favor.
Whether we have received plenty or little in
life, we will all be held accountable. Again, our accountability shall be in
direct proportion to the capacities we have been endowed with. After all, we are invited to be responsible and
trustworthy stewards. We pray and hope,
then, that our life shall be a proof that we can be truly trusted with small
matters on earth and, hence, deserving of greater things in heaven.
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