Is love your talent?

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Prov 31, 10-31; 1 Thess 5,1-6; Mt 25, 14-30

Etymology: from value to ability...

Perhaps it would be helpful to start this reflection by considering the origin of the word talent. For us, talent means ability, an aptitude, a flair to do something well, distinctively well. I did some research and learnt that this word entered the English language in the 13th century, from the French language, where it had more or less the same meaning. It meant a particular leaning, disposition, will or desire to do something. The French borrowed it from the Latin, where it meant a balance, sum of money, and which in turn came from Greek which referred to a unit of weight of silver.

...and valuing ability

I am sure that we all knew that the word here in the Gospel refers to an amount of silver, but I am making emphasis on this fact to remember that our understanding of talent as ability and aptitude came some twelve centuries later. Yet, we continue to conflate these two things ideas. In fact, especially in our consumerist world which is dictated by the laws of economics, we tend to value other according to their abilities. We put a price tag human beings depending on their ability to work and to contribute to the GDP. We also define ourselves and calculate our worth by what we have and possess as though intelligence, strength, education, the number of digits in our bank account and the horsepower of our car makes us more worthy persons than others. This belief is subtle but very present, and not only here but in many places around the world.

The woman who had nothing, except a huge heart

A few years ago, before even being ordained, while doing voluntary work in another country I remember meeting a young woman who told me, "Father, I am not a good mother." At first I thought that she was going to speak to me about domestic violence. Instead she told me, "Father, I work by my wage is very low and I do not afford to send my two children to a good school. I do not have enough education to help my children with their homework. Now they are growing up and I feel that I am too soft with them and cannot control them much." She told me this with tears in her eyes. When she left I was struck by how much she loved her children. She was indeed giving her whole self to these children she had. She was keeping nothing, absolutely nothing to herself. I remember thinking to myself, her children might not sweep away all the prizes of their schools, perhaps they might neither be the best dressed among their friends. But they will surely know how to love, for if there is something that their mother has given them, it was simply selfless love, which is the greatest thing she could have given them.

Love = risk-taking

I believe that this is the gist of Jesus's parable today. What God has given us is our life and his love, not our abilities. Those are secondary and depend on many other external factors which are beyond our control. What God has given us and expects us to really apply is our ability to love, and this brings with it a risk. Loving implies risk-taking. In fact to love is to take a risk. For a moment you lose all you have, all you are in the other person, knowing that you might lose everything for good. After all we do the same thing when we invest our money. We entrust it into the hands of others and we might in fact lose it all. In fact, the whole bible is full of people taking risks: Abraham risks leaving his fathers' land to a place he does not even know, James and John risk following Jesus, Simon Peter risks welcoming Jesus on his boat and leave the safe shores. What type of risk of Jesus calling of you?

Prayer: a case in point

I have mentioned that we can understand our talents as being our life and love. Prayer is a practical example of this. When we say, "Oh, I am too busy to pray. It is a waste of time. I'd rather do something more productive." When we say so, we are avoiding to risk. We are hiding life and our love in the earth. It can never bear fruit in that way. But when we say, no matter what, I will take the risk, "I will dedicate five, ten or fifteen minutes to prayer, even if it feels useless and time lost," then we are investing our life and our love which will render dividends which we would not even have imagined.

A life well-spent

With God we can never lose, no matter how big the risk we take. Our efforts are always multiplied. But we have to overcome our fears and take the risk of giving ourselves, our whole selves, of giving the utmost to others. Go, love give. Come on, take the risk. As one young Italian saint used to encourage her friends saying, "After all, you have only one life, and if you are going to spend it, might as well spend it well!"