Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 19, 11-28

While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he 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 man;
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 man,
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.’
He replied, ‘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.

The Gospel of the Lord

Make your gifts grow

1. The kingdom of God. Jesus shows us that finding the path of our life is a process. You have something special, a gift and a grace, that God has placed in your heart to give to others so as to motivate them along the way. Have you identified what your gift is? What is the grace you have been given that can help you and others? Do you know? If you don’t, start working on identifying your gift.

2. Make your gift grow.  You must produce and bear fruit not only to eat or gain material things, but also to help others and to do good. How wonderful it is to see so many people benefit through your service! Many will thank you and they will express it, others won’t, but the lovely thing about giving is seeing the good it produces. 

3. Fear. Fear doesn’t let you bear fruit; it doesn’t allow you to make your gifts grow. It doesn’t allow you to take a risk and go beyond. Fear makes you shut yourself off, it leads you to close in on yourself. Today, ask the Virgin Mary to help you overcome this fear that has entrapped you and locked you within yourself, preventing you from moving ahead and bearing fruit. With Mary’s help, anything can be accomplished.

Always remember that something good is on the way! 

God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.