Hurry Up: The World Needs Your Talents!

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Watching talent competitions usually produces feelings of amazement, awkwardness, and dread for me.  I am usually amazed by the boldness of whomever has put themselves forward for judgment and appraisal by others. The very thought of myself in the same situation sets loose an army of butterflies wreaking havoc in my gut. This is why that amazement is quite short-lived, very quickly turning into vicarious awkwardness and dread for the person on stage as I inwardly flinch for them.

There is a part of me that wants them to do well because if they do not wow the judges and audience, it can get pretty ugly for them. For many, talent is only worth something if it can entertain, impress, and bring them a measure of fame and fortune. In truth, all of us have been blessed with talents and there is so much more to these than what the world values.

Talents Entrusted

In St. Matthew’s gospel, Jesus begins a parable with these words:

For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away (Mt. 25:14-15).

Everything we have comes from God. There is nothing good we possess, which was not given to us by our Father God. There is nothing which we have earned or come to own by sheer luck, skill or savvy. The word “talent” in the parable of the talents refers to “gift and personal abilities”; however, it is also interesting to consider what a talent also meant during those ancient times:

A talent (Ancient Greek [meaning] ‘scale’ and ‘balance’) was a unit of weight of approximately 80 pounds (36 kg), and when used as a unit of money, was valued for that weight of silver.  As a unit of currency, a talent was worth about 6,000 denarii.] A denarius was the usual payment for a day’s labour.  At one denarius per day, a single talent was therefore worth 16 years of labor. (Wikipedia.org)

Our Lord’s use of the word “talent” is not random or accidental; it is a purposeful reference to the weight and significance of what God gives each one of us. Even the one talent was worth so much, and there is not one person who does not have a talent or a gift from God! Every single one of us has been entrusted with something of which we are meant to make good use.

As with anything and everything we are given by our Father God, we should be grateful for these gifts! Whatever they are, these talents and personal abilities are the means through which we can help to bring about a great deal of good – if we are attuned to His will and what He calls us to do. God knows us even better than we know ourselves. He has given each one of us what we need in order to do as much good as we can, whether we are able to impress others or not.

Regardless of Number

In the first letter of Peter, we read:

As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1Peter 4:10)

It is important for us to understand that what we have is not meant for us to simply use for our own purposes or even “bury”, as one of the servants in the parable did. Maybe he was afraid or overwhelmed at having been entrusted with so much. It is curious that he did not seem to consider how much more his fellow servants had been given by their master. It is possible that this servant with the one talent was unable to look past himself and his own concerns – he had unwittingly made his world very small and his vision constricted.

Does it matter that there were others who had received more? Should we be comparing among ourselves to see whose gifts are better, as if this was a competition? After all, a worldly sensibility could foster a spirit of indignation and self-righteousness. “Why wasn’t I given more? Does that mean I am worse than others? I deserve much more!”  We are familiar with this vein of thinking – we are constantly bombarded with popular messages that more and bigger is always better, with a special emphasis on me, myself, and I.

In fact, it does not matter how much more one has – talents or personal abilities – so much as what one does with whatever one has been given. What God has given us is not meant for the pursuit of personal fame, fortune, pleasure, and satisfaction. In the gospel of Matthew, it is recounted that Jesus Himself told His disciples, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?” (Mt 16:26) This is true now, as it was then, and will be forever.

God’s Presence in the World

St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, wrote:

“None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” (Rom. 14:7-9)

God gives to us that which makes it possible for us to help each other, complete what may be lacking in others, respond to challenges which we and others face – to be God’s arms and hands, His feet, His voice, His embrace, and affection in the middle of the world. Now, more than ever in modern or recent history, this is so important for us to understand and take on with conviction. What we do can make a huge, positive, and loving difference in the lives of those around us.

We each have wonderful, beautiful, and personal talents and abilities which contribute to our unique individualities. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, regarding the differences in our talents and gifts, we read:

These differences belong to God’s plan, who wills that each receive what he needs from others, and that those endowed with particular “talents” share the benefits with those who need them. (CCC 1936-1937)

Time is a Talent

We live in this time of the pandemic, suddenly restricted in movement, unable to fully participate in the physical environment of business, school, community, and the world in general. While we may not be able to do many of the things which belong to the “old normal”, there are many opportunities for us to get out of ourselves and make full use of our God-given talents and abilities to help those around us and bring them closer to our Lord.

This time itself is a gift from our Father God. We are alive at this moment in time! We know that God does not work in a random or senseless manner, by chance, or sheer dumb luck. If we are alive at this moment, there is a reason for this. Whether we understand completely or find ourselves still feeling around in the dark for better sight and comprehension – God has a reason for why we are where we are.

What keeps us from knowing what we ought to do or can do? Is it fear of the unknown or the uncertainty of a future while waiting for a COVID vaccine? Is it insecurity at the changes we do not like or cannot wrap our heads around? Or perhaps there is anger or resentment at the injustice of it all – that we cannot do many of the good things we used to do with such normalcy and ease?

Consider this: we are in the midst of all this, and there is no going backward or fast-forwarding. There is only now. Today: this moment. What can you do right now? With your time? With your talents? With your abilities? Can you pick up a phone and call that friend with whom you have not had a conversation in many months, to ask how things are? Perhaps, yours are the ears which need to hear her story and the voice and words she needs to hear for consolation. Can you write a personal email or letter to someone you have lost touch with to reconnect in this way?

Your Presence and True Friendship

Are you on a Zoom call and dreading the request to turn on your video and microphone because it is “just not your thing”? Perhaps, you could do so, if you consider that we as humans do better when we relate to each other in a personal way? As unusual as it is to be on a video conference call instead of getting together in person, the reality is that this is the medium available to us right now and it is good for us to make the most of this opportunity to be with each other in a personal and real way as possible. Perhaps you can cook a meal for someone or offer to do the groceries for another. Maybe someone would love to have you over for a backyard visit or consider inviting someone over for one.

Friendship is an overused word, and because of this – sadly – it is misunderstood at times. Yet, it is during these extraordinary times such as this pandemic that being a true friend counts for so very much. For it is within true friendship that we are able to better appreciate the complementarity of each person’s varied gifts. When we look out for the good of our friends, mindful of what we can do for them, we are able to put our abilities to great use.

As different and unique as each one of us is, there are also certain things – particular and precious gifts – which are common to all of us as human beings: our time, our companionship, whether in person or virtual, via email, text message or phone call, our affection – that smile of yours is worth so much more than you realize, even with a mask on! Remember: the eyes are the windows of the soul! Nowadays, when the very real issues of mental well-being, loneliness, and isolation have become front and centre, the kindness, generosity, good humour, patience, and care we can show others have become so invaluable.

The World is Not a Stage

Although the word “talent” can conjure up images of those who perform on a stage before an audience and judges, I propose to you that the world is NOT a stage. Rather than performers, we are representatives of He Who has entrusted to us others who are in need of what we can give them. We are called to what St. Josemaria refers to as a “greatness of spirit; a largeness of heart” – magnanimity. He writes, in “Friends of God”, number 80:

Magnanimity gives us the energy to break out of ourselves and be prepared to undertake generous tasks which will be of benefit to all. Small-mindedness has no home in the magnanimous heart, nor has meanness, nor egoistic calculation, nor self-interested trickery.

Who better to look to as a model of magnanimity than Jesus’ own mother, Mary – who is also our mother! Accounts of her concern for others – her largeness of heart – are in holy scripture, but as well in our own experience of having recourse to her in our prayers and petitions.  We see this in her haste to get to her cousin Elizabeth, upon finding out that the older woman was expecting her first child. What did she, as a 15-year old girl, have to give as a talent or a gift? Her very self, of course!

Mary rushes to be with her cousin, even if she herself was expecting already. She stays with Elizabeth and – although we were not present to witness this – almost certainly helped out with everything and anything she could do. Mary’s presence, affection, care, and concern were such blessings for Elizabeth. It was no surprise and no stretch for our blessed Mother to do this for someone she loved. It was as natural to her as saying yes to God!

Let us turn to Mary, then, and ask her, as our Mother, to help us in our efforts to use our talents and gifts for the good. We also ask the Holy Spirit to help us discern the many opportunities we have to do good, and the greatness of spirit to do what we can for God and for love.

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 (St. Josemaria, Friends of God, 47).

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