“It’s just a story,” the priest assured us, smiling widely as he finished the Gospel about throwing the worthless slave into the darkness where weeping and gnashing of teeth are heard. He made me smile tonight. This man has a talent of invoking a passion for the Word of God. He is a visiting Jesuit and the second visiting Jesuit that made me smile this day. The other other Jesuit has a great gift of joy and peace that radiates from deep within. Both men call listeners to be more, to be faithful to their calling. I was left with deep admiration for how they live out their vocations. Truly these men have been given many talents and like those first servants in tonight’s Gospel they share them generously and without fear.

Each of us has a great gift that we are given by the Creator to share with a world in need. Each of us has a decision to hoard it, to bury it, or to use it. Today was also the 25th anniversary of the Jesuit martyrs in El Salvador. I joined the Spanish Community at our parish for a meal tonight and remembered the deaths of these fine men and the women who served them. Each of them had not buried their talents. They had lived their gifts until they spilled out of them from their assassin’s bullets. Not all of us are called to live our gifts in this fashion–only a talented few. Each of us though must make a decision to have hearts that burn to serve. St. Ignatius asks us in the Spiritual Exercises what we will do for Christ who has given us so much with such abundant love. How will you spend the talent given to you? The choice is yours. Will you be generous and trusting with what you have been blessed with?

Peace,

Suzanne