What sign can you do?

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John 6:30-35 If I wasn't in the same boat as these sinners following Jesus I would probably be laughing right in their face. I often wonder how Jesus kept from rolling on the grass laughing at what some people do. Today we hear the crowd ask Him, "What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do?..." Is this not the same crowd who in verse 2 we are told - "followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick ."? Are these not the same people who in verse 14 " when they saw the sign he had done, they said, "This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world."? Yet still they seek a sign. However, they are not seeking a sign so that they might believe, they are wanting to be fed. Jesus worked a "sign" with the loaves and the fishes and now they want Him to do it again. Wisely, Jesus is using their bellies to get to their hearts; He is using earthly things to move them,
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Talent on Loan from God

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Luke 19:11-28

Saint Catherine of Siena said that, "if you are what you should be, you will set the world on fire."
 
Today's Gospel is about just that, being what you should be.  In Jesus' parable about the talents we quickly realize that everyone is given gifts or talents, to use for God's purposes.  They are, however, on loan, at least to begin with.  I love that the passage says, "[he] entrusted his possessions to them."  It's a good reminder that, as the late Rush Limbaugh often said, our talents are, "on loan from God."  These talents belong to God.  Yet he gives them to each of us, "according to his ability (v.15)."  God doesn't give us talents that we are incapable of using.

So, why do we hold back?  Why do we not use God's gifts as we should?  Why do we not sing in the choir when everyone says we have an awesome voice?  Why do we not use our outgoing personality to bring cheer to the sick and elderly in hospitals and nursing homes?  Why do we not hone our writing or speaking gifts to enable us to lead others to Christ?  Why do we not use our love for literature to simply help another to learn to read?

The questions could go on and on.  The Gospel gives us the deep underlying answer at the root of all of our excuses, "out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground." (emphasis mine)  It is too often out of fear that we hide our His gifts and talents.  We are most often afraid of failing or we are afraid of what others might think.

We have nothing to fear.  I'll state it again, we have nothing to fear.  God has given us our His talents.  He has given them to us according to our ability.  He will help us use them.  He does not expect success but rather faithfulness.  He doesn't expect great things and he'll be happy if we but at least try.  The lazy servant didn't even try.  He would have been happy if the lazy servant would have at least shown a little initiative and put the talents in a bank to gain interest, but he didn't.  Rather, he let fear rule his life.

So, then, are you going to let fear rule your life or are you going to trust God?  He trusts you.  He trusts you enough to give you the wonderful talents He wants you to use and, as a bonus, He'll help you use them!  It's a pretty good deal.  Fear not, use your talents for His glory and our blessing!

FROM THE SAINTS - "Don't lose your effectiveness; instead, trample on your selfishness. You think your life is for yourself? Your life is for God, for the good of all men, through your love for our Lord. Your buried talent, dig it up again! Make it yield." - Saint Josemaria Escriva Friends of God, 47 (#ad)

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