What the Gospel today shows us is that God lovingly gives each person talents – to one, five; to another four, and to third, one. Rather than comparing oneself to others, what is important that we recognize our gifts and limitations. A child recognizes what he has comes from his parents and these gifts increase his dependence and love.
But the Lord’s love is also demanding. He expects each one to increase the gifts he has given. That is, he looks for an outward manifestation of one’s inward disposition – gratitude for and desire to increase his gifts for the benefit of others is essential, and it is on this basis we will be judged.
St. Paul in the 1streading Praises the Thessalonians, whom he earlier chastised for their wobbly practices in regard to chastity, for their charity toward others and he encourages them “to work with your own hands”
This admonition fits well in the advice Christ gives us in the Gospel:
Work hard to make profit from the talents I have entrusted to you.
Tie the two readings together to see how important personal effort -work – is in the life of Christian.
Finally, I shall reflect on the emergence of these two readings in the light of what I considered in Monday’s reading, when Paul wrote: The Gospel “did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit.” That is the essential point.