Matt 25, 14-30: You have been faithful in small things: come and join in your master's happiness.

In this 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, the last of the liturgical calendar before Christ the King, the Church presents us with the Gospel of the talents. The story of the master who settles his accounts with his servants. We all love to hear these words: ”well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibility." Or I will entrust you with much.

Good and faithful servant. For what? For being faithful, dutiful in little things. This includes your abilities, but also all the amazing apostate you can do. Your example with friends, to help them to pray. Your good works with them. Peace and fraternity at home. Ability to work. To teach them to work.

But even among successful people with house and family and job, it is always sad to see wasted talent, since people never plan to squander their talents. They may fail to use them, usually not because they decide to ignore them, but because they never decide to make them fully fruitful. 

God does not want us to do shoddy work, but this can be confused with a fruitless perfectionism. Have I fallen into the trap of perfectionism?

Music: Mozart: Adagio in C major, K. 356 - Guitar Arrangement - Bert Alink.

Thumbnail: Rembrandt Van Ring, Parable of the talents, drawing in reed pen and bistre, c. 1652, Louvre collection.

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