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Sunday of Ordinary Time – November 15, 2020
We know from experience that different people have
different abilities. A person with an ability to listen to others may not have
the ability to be a good organizer. Someone good at fixing a leaky pipe may
have little or no musical ability. A good teacher may be a hopeless car
mechanic. We learn from experience who’s good at what, and we
relate to people accordingly. We also learn from experience what our own
abilities are, and what our limitations are. We likely take on tasks that
correspond to our abilities and avoid tasks that do not correspond to our
skills.
The rich man in Sunday’s gospel was well aware of
the abilities of his servants. Before he set out on his journey, he entrusted
his property “to each in proportion to his ability”. The man who received five talents of money was
capable of making five more; the one who received two talents was capable of
making two more; the one who received one talent was capable of making one
more. The first two servants worked according to their ability. The third servant
did not, giving his master back the one talent, he had been given. What held
this servant back from working according to his ability was fear. “I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in
the ground”.
We may have some sympathy for the third servant,
because, we understand how fear can hold us back and prevent us from doing what
we are capable of doing. Fear can be a powerful force in the lives of some.
Those who have experienced a lot of criticism growing up can be slow to take a
risk. An Irish proverb says, “Praise the young, and they
will make progress.” The converse can also true. “Disparage the young, and they will be held back.”
Jesus was aware of the power of fear in people’s lives. Abundant references in the Old and New
Testament call upon us to not be afraid. From the beginning of Genesis to the
Gospels:
-To Abraham: “Do not be afraid,
Abram; I am your shield, and your reward shall be very great.”
-To Solomon from his father King
David: “Do not be afraid for Yahweh God, my God, is with you.”
-To
Isaiah: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do
not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you.”
-To Joseph: “Son of David, do not be
afraid to take Mary your wife home.”
-To
Mary: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have
found favor with God.”
-To Peter: “Do not be afraid!
From now on you will be catching people!”
-To the Apostles: “They were terrified. But immediately Jesus said to
them, “It is I, do not be afraid.”
It is striking that in the gospels, the opposite of
faith tends to be fear. Fear held people back from following Jesus fully. We
can all experience that same fear in our lives, especially when it comes to
responding to the Lord’s call. Yet, the risen
Lord is present to us in ways that help to overcome our fear. He encourages us through
the Holy Spirit.
The tragedy of the third servant in the parable today
is that, out of fear, he hid what had been entrusted to him, even though he had
the ability to use it well. St. Paul, in the first reading, reminds us: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for
the common good”. We have each been graced in some
way by the Lord for the service of others. If I hide what the Lord has given
me, others are thereby deprived. A few verses beyond where today’s second reading ends, Paul calls on the
Thessalonians: “Encourage one another and build up
each other, as indeed you are doing”. That ministry of mutual
encouragement is as necessary today as it was in Paul’s time. We are to increase
the grace that we have received so that we may become the person God is calling
us to be. And as we each try to share that grace in our own way, we thereby
encourage others to do the same.
I will close by quoting Nelson Mandela: “We were born to make manifest the Glory of God that is
within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own Light shine, we
unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated
from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates
others”.
Fr. Don Webber,
C.P.