But yes! Invent my life.
Light a passionate fire, a thing of blazing gold, and let me laugh in your joy,
my laughing God, and leap in your rising, my Dancer!
Katherine De Vinck, A Book of Uncommon Prayer
The Lord has
entrusted each of us with certain gifts. Each gift is specially intended for
the recipient, just as the Master in today’s Gospel entrusts each servant with
a different amount. Some of us, not trusting ourselves to use the gifts God
chose for us, may be tempted to hide our “talents” instead of using them.
Several years
ago, I returned to the Church after a long absence. There I found the infinite
mercy of God waiting for me, and I soon began to desire to share the truth and
beauty of the Catholic faith with others who had left the Church. I began
teaching as a volunteer catechist, but wanted to learn more. It took ten years
attending community college and a distance university part time to complete my
Bachelor’s Degree in Christian Theology. I then set out to put my “gifts” to
use in Catholic education or parish work, but my shiny new credentials failed
to win me the job I envisioned. So I continued with family responsibilities and
odd jobs that ranged from caregiving for an elderly priest to flower arranging,
while volunteering in various ministries, writing articles, and teaching an
occasional class. The Lord’s plans for me seemed different than my own, and I
often had to remind myself to trust in His will.
But I don’t worry
too much about my failures, because our Lord is not a demanding Lord, but a
generous and merciful Father. Like the Master in today’s parable, God desires
our love and trust more than our success. So, when the day comes for me to
account for the use of my gifts, I will offer the Lord my empty hands, a heart
full of love and gratitude, and maybe just a few pennies of “interest,”
trusting it will be enough.
Don’t hesitate to
trust in God to receive the offering of your life, lived in faith and love, as an
acceptable return on His investment.
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