A Letter from Fr. Paul - Sunday, November 15th

Please mark your calendars for our Advent reflection at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, December 1st.  Safety measures will be observed and registration is not required.  There will be a short presentation on change and transformation, quiet reflection time, and Benediction.  I invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to enter prayerfully into the season of Advent.
 
Our Gospel parable this weekend is very clear: Jesus is the Master and we are the servants who have been given five, two, or one talent (a talent was about 100 pounds of coins). Notice that it was not important how many talents each received; they just needed to do what they could with the amount received.  Each of us has 24 hours in a day, everyone has “talents” in the sense of an ability or aptitude to do certain things, and we all have some material goods.  How am I using the time, talent, and treasure that God has blessed me with?  Do I tend to focus on myself or do I think of others?  For example, what do I do with my free time?  How much television do I watch as opposed to visiting or calling someone who is homebound?  Or if I am able bodied, do I volunteer to cut the lawn for an elderly
neighbor?  In terms of finances, do I spend my income mostly on myself or am I supporting my community and worthwhile causes?
 
We like to think that we don’t have much and we can’t make a difference, but even the servant with only one talent was expected to put it to work in a productive way.  Our Gospel this coming weekend, the Last Judgment, reminds us what is important.  When Jesus says to us, “when I was hungry…alone…sick…,” He will be judging how we have used the time, treasure, and talent given to us by God.
 
As we come to the end of another Church year, the days grow shorter, as does our time on earth.  How am I doing on using all that the Lord has given me to build up the Kingdom?  How can I do better?  God bless.