November 17, 2004 Daily Prayer with Regnum Christi





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No Excuses



November 17, 2004
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary

Luke 19:11-28
Jesus proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God would appear there immediately. So he said, "A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ´Engage in trade with these until I return.´ His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, ´We do not want this man to be our king.´ But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. The first came forward and said, ´Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.´ He replied, ´Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.´ Then the second came and reported, ´Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.´ And to this servant too he said, ´You, take charge of five cities.´ Then the other servant came and said, ´Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding person; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.´ He said to him, ´With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding person, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.´ And to those standing by he said, ´Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten.´ But they said to him, ´Sir, he has ten gold coins.´ ´I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.´" After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

Introductory Prayer:I give you thanks, Lord, for the myriad of talents and abilities you have endowed me with. At times I am tempted to think I have been short-changed or disadvantaged, especially when I see your glory shining through the life and abilities of one of my brothers or sisters. I know that your love for me is equally as strong. You are great in your gifts.

Petition:Help me to develop my talents to the full, Lord, so that I can love you more with them and proclaim your glory to all peoples.

1. Expecting a Return. Sometimes it is difficult to penetrate the inner truth of Christ’s parables. They are stories charged with meaning and nuance that are often lost in the translation from biblical languages and cultures to the languages and cultures of our day. We know them by names: “The Prodigal Son,” “The Good Samaritan,” “The Sower,” etc. Today’s “Parable of the Ten Pounds” or minas is often confused with the “Parable of the Talents” which is found in Matthew 25 and virtually identical to it. What are these pounds, talents, minas, or in this translation “gold coins”? Coins don’t mean much to us any more. However their value in Jesus’ day was very great. Estimates run from $100 to $400 each in the case of the “pounds.” Multiply that by about 10 for the “talents.” There was a lot at stake in this nobleman’s investment. He had reason to expect a significant return.

2. Be Not Afraid. We need to recognize each of our “talents” as three digit assets and not just small change we leave in the charity box at the checkout counter because we don’t want to bother storing it away in our pockets and purses. And yet we easily give Our Lord the leftovers. Like the third servant we don’t really know what to do with such big accounts. “Where do I invest this? I might make a big error.” So we hide them under the mattress and hope nobody will notice. We freeze at the prospect of actually venturing out spiritually, filled with faith and hope, bravely acting out of love for Christ in our brothers and sisters.

3. Christ Is Confident About Our Success. If not, would he have entrusted so much to us? He pours out a lot on us because he needs us to invest it. He is demanding but sure. We can be sure in these good investments; they will always be fruitful somewhere. Christ underlines the wickedness of selfishly hiding and not using what we have been given. It is a crime worthy of a weighty punishment. These are gifts for all, not just for the one they are entrusted to. As Christ told the Pharisees, supposed dispensers of his gifts: “You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter” (Matthew 23:13).

Dialogue with Christ: Lord, I know that the gifts you have given me need to be invested. They are not mine but yours to be administered. Help me to know how to invest them wisely. Help me not be stingy and miserly in their use but share them with all. May they bring a great return to the interests of your kingdom.

Resolution: I will share one of my talents with someone else today.

Father Timothy Mulcahey, LC

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So that all children may discover the will of God for their lives and decide to embrace it wholeheartedly.






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