THAT
should be fair enough. If one is given a lot of gifts, blessings,
privileges, opportunities, etc, then a lot should also be expected of
him. Christ himself said so. “Much will be required of the persons
entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person
entrusted with more.” (Lk 12,48)
He reiterates the same idea a number of times in the parable of the
talents, the parable of the seed, the tenants in the vineyard, and the
different images he taught about the Kingdom of God. Even on the basis
of common sense alone, that idea should be a given, a no-brainer or
no-contest proposition.
We have always been taught to trade with our talents, to make the most
of what is given and entrusted to us, to be generous and magnificent
in the way we spend our life. Our life here on earth, after all, is a
test of love, the real love, which is love for God and others, and
never just self-love.
But nowadays, we need to be sharply reminded of these words which
actually indicate a very basic truth about ourselves, since we see
precisely the opposite of this truth in many parts of the world.
And this fundamental truth is none other than that all we have, from
our life to our natural endowments and to the good consequences these
endowments bring, are always a gift from God and should be used in
accordance to his will or plan.
We tend to forget this truth. We tend to expropriate these God-given
gifts as if they are simply our own, to be used in any way we want.
And, boy, how we use them!
We have great people endowed with great talents, intelligence, power,
fame and fortune, health and strength, who do not relate all these
gifts and blessings to God and his plan. They are never thankful to
God. They don’t even miss him. They use and tout their gifts as if
these are simply their own.
We can have a singing sensation, for example, with a tremendously
powerful and beautiful voice, and who now commands immense popularity
with many people practically swooning over her. And yet she flaunts
her talent is if it is just her own, the success she has achieved so
far in her career is simply of her own making.
She makes irreverent remarks about things related to God and the
spiritual realities, and has no qualms to show her rather irregular
ways and the fruits of such ways, practically burying any reference to
morality. What matters is that she is famous.
Then we can have brilliant politicians, very gifted in speech and wit,
with ample war chest, but who also take religion very lightly. If they
have to do something related to religion, it is simply to further
their political ambitions.
Religion to them has become only a political tool. No wonder that very
often, they take political positions inconsistent with their professed
faith. Hypocrites, in short.
And what is more disturbing is that these politicians have polished
their craft so well that they can distort truths of faith and morals
with lots of finesse. Like pied pipers they entice people to follow
them to their doom.
We have to reverse this sad phenomenon in our midst. We have to
highlight the basic truth that God is very much in our midst and is
very much involved in our life in all its aspects, from the most the
personal to the most global and even cosmic.
We have to bring to the fore the truth that we indeed are active
cooperators in God’s loving providence over us. We need to be more
aware of the truth that our life is always a life with God, never just
on our own.
We can do this if everyone of us who still cares for his or her faith
prays a lot, offers a lot of sacrifices, and launches into an endless
personal apostolate of friendship and confidence, supported by a
lifestyle consistent with the demands of our faith as shown in our
family, professional and social life.
Action speaks louder than words. And so we need to learn now to
sanctify our work, always offering to God which is what sanctifying
our work means first of all, and because of that, we try to do our
work as best as we can, although we know that our best efforts can
always be made better.
We have to learn how to establish the connection between our daily
work and concerns with God’s will and plan.
privileges, opportunities, etc, then a lot should also be expected of
him. Christ himself said so. “Much will be required of the persons
entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person
entrusted with more.” (Lk 12,48)
He reiterates the same idea a number of times in the parable of the
talents, the parable of the seed, the tenants in the vineyard, and the
different images he taught about the Kingdom of God. Even on the basis
of common sense alone, that idea should be a given, a no-brainer or
no-contest proposition.
We have always been taught to trade with our talents, to make the most
of what is given and entrusted to us, to be generous and magnificent
in the way we spend our life. Our life here on earth, after all, is a
test of love, the real love, which is love for God and others, and
never just self-love.
But nowadays, we need to be sharply reminded of these words which
actually indicate a very basic truth about ourselves, since we see
precisely the opposite of this truth in many parts of the world.
And this fundamental truth is none other than that all we have, from
our life to our natural endowments and to the good consequences these
endowments bring, are always a gift from God and should be used in
accordance to his will or plan.
We tend to forget this truth. We tend to expropriate these God-given
gifts as if they are simply our own, to be used in any way we want.
And, boy, how we use them!
We have great people endowed with great talents, intelligence, power,
fame and fortune, health and strength, who do not relate all these
gifts and blessings to God and his plan. They are never thankful to
God. They don’t even miss him. They use and tout their gifts as if
these are simply their own.
We can have a singing sensation, for example, with a tremendously
powerful and beautiful voice, and who now commands immense popularity
with many people practically swooning over her. And yet she flaunts
her talent is if it is just her own, the success she has achieved so
far in her career is simply of her own making.
She makes irreverent remarks about things related to God and the
spiritual realities, and has no qualms to show her rather irregular
ways and the fruits of such ways, practically burying any reference to
morality. What matters is that she is famous.
Then we can have brilliant politicians, very gifted in speech and wit,
with ample war chest, but who also take religion very lightly. If they
have to do something related to religion, it is simply to further
their political ambitions.
Religion to them has become only a political tool. No wonder that very
often, they take political positions inconsistent with their professed
faith. Hypocrites, in short.
And what is more disturbing is that these politicians have polished
their craft so well that they can distort truths of faith and morals
with lots of finesse. Like pied pipers they entice people to follow
them to their doom.
We have to reverse this sad phenomenon in our midst. We have to
highlight the basic truth that God is very much in our midst and is
very much involved in our life in all its aspects, from the most the
personal to the most global and even cosmic.
We have to bring to the fore the truth that we indeed are active
cooperators in God’s loving providence over us. We need to be more
aware of the truth that our life is always a life with God, never just
on our own.
We can do this if everyone of us who still cares for his or her faith
prays a lot, offers a lot of sacrifices, and launches into an endless
personal apostolate of friendship and confidence, supported by a
lifestyle consistent with the demands of our faith as shown in our
family, professional and social life.
Action speaks louder than words. And so we need to learn now to
sanctify our work, always offering to God which is what sanctifying
our work means first of all, and because of that, we try to do our
work as best as we can, although we know that our best efforts can
always be made better.
We have to learn how to establish the connection between our daily
work and concerns with God’s will and plan.
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