BE A HI-FI CHRISTIAN
Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 25:14-30
As a child, Norman Geisler—the famous theologian and author—went to a vacation bible school because some friends invited him. He returned to the same church for Sunday school. Each week a bus driver picked him up. For eight years, he attended church, but never was never baptised. Finally, during his senior year in high school, after being picked up over 400 times, he was baptised.
What if the bus driver had given up on Geisler at 395? What if the bus driver had said: “This kid is going nowhere spiritually, why waste time on him?” (cf. Max Lucado, God Came Near). What if!
That bus driver was a hi-fi (high-fidelity) Christian. He stuck to the task entrusted to him.
That’s the challenge Jesus puts before us in this Sunday’s gospel: fidelity to our God-given mission. The parable of the talents is not about using/multiplying our skills! A talent was fifteen years’ wages, and—in the parable—symbolises something of great value to the Lord which he entrusted to his servants. It represents his word (love, forgiveness…): he calls us to transmit/ share this talent.
The first reading glorifies “a worthy wife” not for her talents but for her fidelity to her responsibility.
Am I faithful to my God-given mission of doing my daily duty and of proclaiming his word? Or does fear (of failure, rejection, judgement) prevent me from being faithful?
May I be a hi-fi Christian and faithfully communicate God’s love, word, and forgiveness to all people.
By: Fr Dr Mascarenhas Vinod SDB