What have I made of myself?
Once a re-union took place of past pupils and an elderly priest who had come back to be present at the re-union. It was obvious from the way they flocked around him that he enjoyed great respect among them. Without the slightest promptings they began to pour out their stories. One was an architect, another was a university professor, another was a head of a company, another was a highly successful farmer, another was a monsignor in the Church, and another was a principal of a very prestigious school. The old priest listened with pleasure, as there didn’t seem to be a single failure or loser among them. Whey they had finished he complimented them on their achievements. Then, looking at them with affection, he said, “And now, tell me what you have made of yourselves?” A long silence followed. They were reluctant to speak of themselves. It seems they were so absorbed in their careers that they had neglected their personal lives. Their energies were so focused on efficiency and success that they didn’t have time to grow emotionally, with the result that in terms of relationships many of them were impoverished.
Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies’
In today’s Gospel Jesus uses a parable of the talents to illustrate how we should live our lives to the fullest if we are to be pleasing to God. In the parable the rich man, before he leaves for a journey gives incredible sums to three servants –the first, ten talents, the second, five talents and the third, one talent, which alone equaled the wages of an ordinary worker for twenty years! Without further instructions the man departs. Hurriedly, the first two servants doubled their gifts, while the one-talent man dug a hole in the ground and hid his. Upon returning the rich man asked his servants what happened to his money. After identical responses about doubling his gift, the first two are called ‘good and faithful servant’ and are placed in charge of even more possessions and welcomed into the joy of the master. While the first two servants were praised the third servant was treated differently. When he was asked what he had done with the talent received he said “I went off and buried your talent in the ground.” The master berates the man as wicked and lazy, and tells him that he should have invested the money with bankers, and then he takes the one talent and gives it to the one who already had ten, and exiles the timid servant to the outer darkness. Why was the timid servant condemned? The tragic flaw of the timid one is that he lived out of fear even when gifted. Every gift of God is also a mandate to bear fruit in God’s vineyard. Some people are so good that they are good-for-nothing! It does not matter how many talents we have but how well we use them. We also need to realize that life and everything we have is a gift from the Lord and we have to be accountable for the gifts received.
“Give it your best shot!”
Tom Demsey was born without a right hand and with only half a right foot. He went to school and played football. He even played on a junior college team in California. In time he began to place kick for the team. He got so good that eventually he was signed by the New Orleans Saints. On November 8, 1970, the saints were trailing Detroit 17-16 with two seconds to go. They had the ball on the Detroit 45-yard line. New Orleans coach J.D. Roberts tapped Tom on the shoulder and said, “Go out there and give it your best shot!” The holder set the ball down eight yards behind the line of scrimmage, instead of seven, to give Dempsey a split second more time to get the ball off. This put the ball 63 yards from the uprights. The rest of the story is history. Tom’s half right foot made perfect contact. Tom later said in the Newsweek magazine: “I couldn’t follow the ball that far. But I saw the official’s arms go up, and I can’t describe how great I felt.” The saints won the game by 19-17, and Dempsey shattered the NFL field goal record by seven yards. - What does the story have to do with today’s gospel? Tom Dempsey had very few, if any, talent for playing football. Yet he used the very few talents he had to accomplish a great deal. He not only played pro football; he set a pro football record that still stands.
Mark Link in ‘Sunday Homilies’
“Today it is easy to let fear govern our lives. A whole political and social structure is nurtured by fear and it stalks our Christian life. Traditionalists fear the gift of Vatican II and a changing Church, and want to keep their treasure intact through a return to dated rituals and arcane theology. Those who welcomed the aggiornamento of John Paul XXIII often want to freeze it in time fearful of renewing the renewal. The wise women at the wedding feast, the enterprising servants in today’s gospel, and the good wife of Proverbs were people of foresight, initiative and independence. The Church today has been given vast treasures of ‘talents’. Will these increase or remain hidden and guarded?”
John Donahue
Foretaste of Heaven
The legendary American violinist, Yehudi Menuhin, was but seven when he performed Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in public. Aged ten, his violin recital at London’s Royal Albert Hall was so phenomenal that Albert Einstein who heard him reportedly whispered to the child prodigy, “Today you have proved to me that there is a God in heaven!” Indeed when one experiences talent developed in so short a time, one gets a glimpse of God, a foretaste of heaven. Today’s readings suggest that God wants us to use our talents and treasures before time runs out.
Francis Gonsalves in ‘Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds’
Practice, practice, practice
Novelist Sinclair Lewis was once besieged by college students for a lecture on the art of writing. The students explained that they had a deep desire to be writers. Lewis began his lecture with: “How many of you earnestly yearn to be writers?” All hands went up. “Then,” said Lewis, “there is no point in lecturing to you. My advice to you is to go home and write, write, write!” We might add, “practice, practice, practice!” that some degree of perfection might pervade every talent we are invested with – but only so that we invest in it, ourselves. Then sometime we might hear those words: “Welcome into the joy of the Lord!”
Francis Gonsalves in ‘Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds’
Name Your Talents
A friend of mine, a successful businessman, told me this story. Once, during a long season when his work was suffering, he began to wonder if he should find another occupation. One of his sisters’ kids listening to his doubts, took a pencil and wrote on a piece of paper what she must have learned at her catechism class: “God created you to use your talents. Name them.” The last words were underlined for emphasis. She taped the paper nearby his computer where they are to this day. –All life is a risk. People who are afraid of risking anything or taking chances do not win. Fear is not the mother of invention or discovery. Fear paralyzes action. Fearful people will be concerned about their own skin and security.
John Pichappilly in ‘The Table of the Word’
Never too late to make your mark
Antonio Stradivaris was born in Cremona, Italy. He had a very high and squeaky voice. Though he loved music and wanted to be a musician, he could not take part in a choir. His friends made fun of him because the talent he had was wood-carving. When Antonio was 22 he became an apprentice to a well-known violin maker Nicholas Amati. Under his master’s training Antonio’s knack for carving grew, and his hobby became his craft. He started his own violin shop when he was 36. He worked patiently and faithfully. By the time he died at 93, he had built over 1,500 violins. Stradivaris of Cremona are the most sought after and expensive violins in the world. He was not a singer, music player or teacher of music yet he used his ability to make beautiful music.
Elias Dias in ‘Divine Stories for Families’
It matters not how many talents we have but how well we use whatever we have, to better life!
*****FROM FR. TONY kADAVIL:
1) Chance-taking adventurous voyagers.
2) Play it safe:
There is an old story about two farmers visiting over a fence in early Spring. "Jake," the first one said, "What are you going to plant this year, corn?" "Nope," Jake replied, "scared of the corn borer." "Well, what about potatoes?" his neighbor asked. "Nope, too much danger of potato bugs," announced Jake. The neighbor pressed on, "Well, then, what are you going to plant?" Jake answered, "Nothing! I'm going to play it safe." In today’s Gospel Jesus tells the story of a lazy servant like Jake, who buried his talent instead of doing business with it.
3) The man who did not bury his talent:
Antonio Stradivari was born in Cremona , Italy Cremona
4) A very rich person,
about to set off on a journey, entrusted very large sums of money (talents) to three of his slaves, each according to his personal ability: five, two, and one. A talent was worth between five and six thousand denarii -- or about 15 years’ wages for a simple day laborer. The rich man freely bestowed responsibility and a chance for unsupervised action on all three slaves. These amounts were enormous to these slaves who had nothing and earned nothing. Through skillful trading and investing, the slave with the five talents managed to make five more -- doubling his master's money. The slave with the two talents did the same. The third slave buried his talent in the ground. He was afraid to take the risk, afraid of the consequences of losing all the money, and afraid of the master’s reaction if he did. On the day of accounting, the master rewarded the two clever slaves ("Come, share your master's joy" vv 21, 23), but punished the third slave whom he called "wicked and slothful" (v. 26). He took the third slave's talent and gave it to the first slave. Clearly the master did not want security -- but initiative. He exposed the third slave's explanation as a mere excuse for irresponsibility and laziness. Even the most timid person could at least have invested the one talent with bankers and gained the interest from it, the master pointed out (v 27).
5) How to stay safe without taking risk?
1. Avoid riding in automobiles because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents. 2. Do not stay home because 17% of all accidents occur in the home. 3. Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians. 4. Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water because 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation. 5. Of the remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in Hospitals. So, above all else, avoid hospitals. BUT, you will be pleased to learn that only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders. Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at Church! And, Bible study is safe too. The percentage of deaths during Bible study is even smaller. So for SAFETY'S sake: Attend Church, and read your Bible. IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!
6) Have you heard the old parachute joke about the guy who was having trouble trusting?
His friend said, “I know the best solution for your problem. A parachute jump will fix your problem of trust and lack of confidence.” So they took this guy up for a jump. But just before he was to jump he got very nervous. His friend assured him, “It’s very easy. You jump out, and then pull the rip cord. If for some reason it doesn’t work, you pull the second cord, which is a back-up – guaranteed absolutely to work! Trust me! Then you just enjoy your trip down and a car will be waiting for you and will drive you back to the airport.” So the guy jumped out of the plane. He pulled the rip cord and nothing happened. “Oh, no!” he thought. “I’ll pull the back-up cord.” He did. Nothing happened. And the guy said to himself, “Oh, no! And I bet the car won’t be there either.”
*****ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS FROM TK:
1) Using one’s talents:
Booker T. Washington started life as a black American slave. At the age of sixteen, he walked almost five hundred miles from his slave home to Hampton Institute in Virginia Alabama
2) Buried talent: Niccolò Paganini (1782 –1840)
was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He was one of the most celebrated violin vituosi of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His Caprice No. 24 in A minor, Op. 1, is among the best known of his compositions, and has served as an inspiration for many prominent composers. But he willed his violin to the city of his birth, Geno , Italy
3) "If only I had her looks."
There is a story of the thirty-eight-year-old scrubwoman who would go to the movies and sigh, "If only I had her looks." She would listen to a singer and moan, "If only I had her voice." Then one day someone gave her a copy of the book, The Magic of Believing. She stopped comparing herself with actresses and singers. She stopped crying about what she didn't have and started concentrating on what she did have. She took inventory of herself and remembered that in high school she had had a reputation for being the funniest girl around. She began to turn her liabilities into assets. When she was at the top of her career, Phyllis Diller made over $1 million a year. In the 1960's that was a great deal of money. She wasn't good-looking and she had a scratchy voice, but she could make people laug h. Well, maybe God is saying something like that to us through today’s parable of the talents. Maybe when we complain that we wish that we had more, if only we were like someone other than ourselves, if only... He says to us: "Use the gifts I have given you!" Stop crying about what you do not have and start concentrating on what you do have. Use the gifts that God has given you.
4) "Where is the piccolo?"
Sir Michael Costa, the celebrated conductor of the 19th century, was holding a rehearsal. As the mighty chorus rang out accompanied by scores of instruments, the musician playing the piccolo --a little pint-sized flute--thinking perhaps that his contribution would not be missed amid so much music, stopped playing. Suddenly, the great leader stopped and cried out, "Where is the piccolo?" The sound of that one small instrument was necessary to the harmony, and the Master Conductor missed it when it dropped out. The point? To the Conductor there are no insignificant instruments in an orchestra. Sometimes the smallest and seemingly least important one can make the greatest contribution and even if it doesn't seem to make that big a difference. Like the piccolo player in Sir Michael's orchestra, we often in our own sovereignty decide that our contribution is not significant. But the Conductor immediately notices. From our perspective, our contribution may be small, but from His, it is crucial. For all piccolos who won't play, or at least aren't playing, Jesus has something to say: "Use the gifts that God has given you."
5) “Do you want a chance to change the world?" :
Steven Jobs is the man who founded the enormously successful company called Apple Computer. Jobs decided that Mr. John Sculley was the man he needed to help him fulfill his dream of building a completely different kind of computer company, one which would make computers available to every person in the world. However, Mr. Sculley was comfortably and safely entrenched as president of the Pepsico Corporation, the makers of the soft drink Pepsi. In this position, John Sculley had obtained everything that a man could want: power, prestige, public recognition, an enormous salary and a secure future. The thought of a career change requiring a move to the West Coast frightened him. He was concerned about losing pensions and deferred compensation and the adjustment to living in California
6) Talents- use them or lose them: There was an American businessman by the name of Wilson Iwo Jima , was an island where the fiercest fighting between American forces and the Japanese took place in the Second World War. You have to use your talent or lose it.
7) “What we are about is faithfulness." Back in the 1940's Clarence Jordon founded a farm in Americus , Georgia aug hty spirit, the reporter said to Dr. Jordon, "Well, you got two of those Ph.D.s and you've put fourteen years into this farm, and there's nothing left to show for it. Just how successful do you think you've been?" Clarence stopped hoeing, turned toward the reporter with his penetrating eyes, and said quietly but firmly, "Sir, I don't think you understand us Christians. What we are about is not success; what we are about is faithfulness." In order to be faithful, we must be willing to take risks for that One who dared to march into the very jaws of Hell for us.
8) Earl Fitz was a doer.
According to a recent article in Christianity Today, Fitz is 81 years young and he has been the mayor of Iowa Falls , Iowa America
9) LVA: result of using one’s talents:
A lady by the name of Ruth Colvin was shocked at her hometown's illiteracy rate. So she decided that God would have her do something about it. "I felt strongly motivated by the Parable of the Talents," she says. "We're responsible for making good use of the knowledge we're given." So Ruth, a teacher, set up a makeshift office in her suburban basement, filing important matters in an old refrigerator, and launched Literacy Volunteers of America in 1962. Today, LVA has helped 90,000 people learn to read thanks to a grandmotherly woman who saw a need and put her talents to work meeting it. [Today's Christian Woman (January/February 1987), p. 23.] Life is a gift. We live in a wonderful world of opportunity.
10) Use the gift of vote:
One voter in each precinct in the United States can determine the next President of the United States Illinois California , Idaho , Oregon , Texas , and Washington
11) One-note opera:
Charles L. Allen once told about a composer named Gioachino Rossini who would go out to some small village in Italy one which could not afford an opera and he would write an opera which the people of that village could perform. One summer, he auditioned all of the talent in this small village, and the only woman who could possibly be a leading lady was limited to only one good note. It was a middle Bflat. Rossini was not discouraged; he went right ahead and wrote the opera in which the leading lady had only that one note to sing. But, he surrounded that middle Bflat with such beautiful harmony that when she sang her one note, it was like an angel from heaven. That is what happens when we offer our meager gifts to God.
12) “Life is just a tiny little minute,/ But eternity is in it." :
Herman Cain, CEO and president of Godfather's Pizza, Incorporated, is an African-American man who was raised in poverty. He credits his hard-working father for his success in life. Throughout Herman's life, his father worked three or four jobs at a time in order to support his family. In addition to his father, Herman Cain also found inspiration from Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays, a former president of Morehouse College aug ht Herman a poem that has guided him through the ups and downs of life. It is as follows:
"Life is just a minute/ Only sixty seconds in it,
Forced upon you, can't refuse it./ Didn't seek it, didn't choose it,
But it's up to you to use it./ You must suffer if you lose it,
Give an account if you abuse it,
Just a tiny little minute,/ But eternity is in it." (2)
This catchy little poem perfectly captures our first point for today. According to Jesus, parable of the kingdom, we will be held accountable for our “stewardship” of our lives.
"Life is just a minute/ Only sixty seconds in it,
Forced upon you, can't refuse it./ Didn't seek it, didn't choose it,
But it's up to you to use it./ You must suffer if you lose it,
Give an account if you abuse it,
Just a tiny little minute,/ But eternity is in it." (2)
This catchy little poem perfectly captures our first point for today. According to Jesus, parable of the kingdom, we will be held accountable for our “stewardship” of our lives.
13) “But the recruiting office is on the other side of the street!”
The French Army was having a campaign to recruit paratroopers. On one of the busiest streets in Paris France
14) "Do you like the house?"
J. Wallace Hamilton in his book What About Tomorrow? tells the story of a wealthy builder. He called in his top assistant manager and said, "I am going away for a while. While I am gone, I want you to oversee the building of my home. I am going to be retiring in a few years, I have these wonderful plans, and excellent parcels of land by the lake, and I want you to oversee the building of our home." As he left on his journey, the assistant said to himself, "He lives in luxury and has done very little for me. When he retires, what will I have?" So the assistant used every opportunity to feather his own nest. He hired an immoral builder, he used inferior products, he hired inferior workmen and when the house was completed, it looked fine on the outside, but its deficiencies in workmanship and material would soon show as the test of time came. It was not a job "well done." When the wealthy builder came back, he said, "Do you like the house?" The assistant manager replied, "Yes, I do." The wealthy builder then asked, "Is this house beautiful?" "It certainly is," the assistant manager replied. "Great," said the wealthy builder, "because it is my gift to you. The house is yours." Each of us lives in the house we are building each day. Where are you in this story tonight?
15) "If you are lonely or have a problem call me.”
Tony Campolo told of meeting a woman who is confined to a wheelchair. Although Nancy Nancy Nancy Nancy Nancy Nancy Nancy Nancy America Nancy
16) There are actually seven forms of intelligence:
There is a psychologist at Harvard named Howard Gardner who is trying to revolutionize the study of intelligence. He says we have been studying I.Q. all wrong. On our intelligence tests we only measure one or two forms of intelligence. Gardner
Some people are gifted spatially. These are our artists and architects. Some are gifted kinesthetically. Their bodies are unusually graceful and coordinated. These are our athletes and dancers. Others are gifted interpersonally. They know instinctively how to get along well with the people around them. These are our sales persons, counselors, teachers. Some are gifted in their ability to look within. These are our philosophers "our wise people." Some are gifted musically.
Here is the important point.Gardner
Some people are gifted spatially. These are our artists and architects. Some are gifted kinesthetically. Their bodies are unusually graceful and coordinated. These are our athletes and dancers. Others are gifted interpersonally. They know instinctively how to get along well with the people around them. These are our sales persons, counselors, teachers. Some are gifted in their ability to look within. These are our philosophers "our wise people." Some are gifted musically.
Here is the important point.
17) Give it your best shot!
Tom Dempsey was born without a right hand and with only half a right foot. Tom went to school and played football. He even played on a junior college team in California Detroit Detroit New Orleans
Mother Theresa of Calcutta
19) Wasted talent:
I don’t believe there is any such thing as a born footballer, or writer, or painter. But Paul came very close to being an exception. He was a star footballer. Of course he had to work at it. But everybody agreed that he was a natural. He knew he was better than any of the kids around him. It came as no surprise when at fifteen he was snapped up by a top professional club. He didn’t have long to wait for his big chance. He had only just celebrated his sixteenth birthday when he found himself selected for the first team. He made an immediate impact. Almost overnight he shot from obscurity to fame. From there on it was one success after another. Within two years he was the club’s leading scorer. By now he was also playing for his country. Everywhere football was talked about his name was mentioned. To the fans he was a hero. To the media he was celebrity. He reveled in his success. A few years ago he had been a poor kid playing in the back streets of a provincial town. Now he was rich and famous. He married a beautiful model, drove a Mercedes, and was the envy of every schoolboy who played football. However, things soon started to go wrong. There were rumors that he was drinking heavily. The rumors proved to be well-founded. His football began to suffer. His personal life began disintegrate. His wife suddenly left him, claiming that he was selfish and immature. Sadly, Paul’s glittering career came to a premature end. He was remembered as much for the manner in which he squandered a rare talent as for what he achieved with it. It is dangerous when a talent springs up overnight. Far better that it should grow up quietly and almost unnoticed, like a seed that grows into a tree. When a talent grows up like that, a kind of wholeness results. (Flor McCarthy in New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). L-14
21) Foretaste of Heaven:
The legendary American violinist, Yehudi Menuhin, was but seven when he performed Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in public. Aged ten, his violin recital at London
Francis Gonsalves in ‘Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds ’(Quoted by Fr. Botelho).
Francis Gonsalves in ‘Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds ’(Quoted by Fr. Botelho).
Novelist Sinclair Lewis was once besieged by college students for a lecture on the art of writing. The students explained that they had a deep desire to be writers. Lewis began his lecture with: “How many of you earnestly yearn to be writers?” All hands went up. “Then,” said Lewis, “there is no point in lecturing to you. My advice to you is to go home and write, write, write!” We might add, “practice, practice, practice!” that some degree of perfection might pervade every talent we are invested with – but only so that we invest in it, ourselves. Then sometime we might hear those words: “Welcome into the joy of the Lord!”
Francis Gonsalves in ‘Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds’23) (Quoted by Fr. Botelho).
Francis Gonsalves in ‘Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds’23) (Quoted by Fr. Botelho).
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3. In Whose Hands
A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.
A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.It depends whose hands it's in.
A baseball in my hands is worth about $6.
A baseball in Mark Mcguire's hands is worth $19 million.
It depends whose hands it's in.
A tennis racket is useless in my hands.
A tennis racket in Pete Sampras' hands is a Wimbledon Championship.
It depends whose hands it's in.
A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal.
A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea.
It depends whose hands it's in.
A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy.
A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it's in.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God's hands will feed thousands.
It depends whose hands it's in.
Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse.
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends whose hands it's in.
As you see now it depends whose hands it's in.
So we can put our concerns, our worries, our fears, our hopes, our dreams, our families, and our relationships in God's hands because --
It depends whose hands they're in.
May God Bless you and those you love, and keep you safe,
Father Pat
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4. From Sermons Illustrations:
Bertoldo de Giovanni is a name even the most enthusiastic lover of art is unlikely to recognize. He was the pupil of Donatello, the greatest sculptor of his time, and he was the teacher of Michelangelo, the greatest sculptor of all time. Michelangelo was only 14 years old when he came to Bertoldo, but it was already obvious that he was enormously gifted. Bertoldo was wise enough to realize that gifted people are often tempted to coast rather than to grow, and therefore he kept trying to pressure his young prodigy to work seriously at his art.
One day he came into the studio to find Michelangelo toying with a piece of sculpture far beneath his abilities. Bertoldo grabbed a hammer, stomped across the room, and smashed the work into tiny pieces, shouting this unforgettable message, "Michelangelo, talent is cheap; dedication is costly!"
Gary Inrig, A Call to Excellence.
S.D. Gordon, The Bent-knee Time.
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5. From Sermons.com
Jesus once told a story of a wealthy landowner who was preparing for a long journey. He called his three servants and divided his money between them, each according to their ability. To one servant he gave five talents, meaning a sum of money, to a second two, and to a third one.
Why is life like that? I don't know. We are all equal in the eyes of God. We are all guaranteed equal rights under the Constitution. In an election our votes are all equal. But when it comes to our abilities, we are as different as different can be. God simply did not make us all the same. There are some people who can handle five talents; there are some who can handle only one. There are some persons who have great intellectual capabilities, and some who do not. There are some who have the ability to project and articulate their thoughts, and there are some who cannot. There are some who have physical prowess and attractive looks, and there are some who do not.
The important thing to remember is that each servant was given something. No one was left idle. You may not be a five-talent person, but you have some talent. We all do. And you know something. I think that there are a whole lot more one and two talent people in this world than there are five talent people. Oh, there are some people who seem to have it all. I won't deny that. But most of us are just one or two talent servants.
The landowner now went on his journey. When he returned he called together his three servants and asked them to give an account...
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"America's Got Talent" is one of a dozen or more copy-cat "spin-offs" from the grand-daddy original "discover-unknown-talent" show "American Idol," a franchise we copied from Great Britain's "Pop Idol" franchise. This genre of television that includes "The Voice," "X-Factor" and "America's Got Talent" focus on finding that rare pearl of stardom embedded amidst the grit and gravel of everyday gifts.
Ferreting out someone's ability to excel at something, identifying an individual's unique "talent," has its roots in this week's gospel text. In fact, you might call our text the original "talent contest."
In the first century a "talent" was actually a measure of weight for gold, silver and copper. We do know it was not a specific value of currency or wealth. We do not know exactly what the weight was that a "talent" measured. We do know it was recognized as the largest weight in normal everyday use. One "talent," then, was a considerable amount, especially when it expressed the weight of such valuable commodities as gold and silver and copper.
In this week's gospel parable these weighty "talents" are distributed by a master to his servants in varying amounts. One received ten "talents." A second received five "talents." A third was entrusted with one "talent." This master obviously "invested" in each of these three servants according to his perception of each of their individual abilities. It is because of this parable that the monetary weight of a "talent" became a term used to describe the natural ability of someone to do something...
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"The major themes of the Christian faith - caring, giving, witnessing, trusting, loving, hoping - cannot be understood or lived without risk."
Fred Craddock
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God's Kingdom Comes through Small Acts of Kindness
Have you ever felt like giving up? Have you ever wondered, even in what you try to do for God, whether it is doing any good? Let God be the judge of that! I remember reading about a little girl named Annie who in 1876 was ten years of age. She was put into a poor house for children...called the Tewkesbury Alms House in Massachusetts. Her mother had died and her father had deserted her. Her aunt and uncle found her too difficult to handle. She had a bad disposition, a violent temper...stemming in part from eyes afflicted with painful trachoma. She had been put in the poorhouse because no one wanted her. She was such a wild one that at times she had to be tied down.
But there was another inmate named Maggie who cared for Annie. Maggie talked to her, fed her, even though Annie would throw her food on the floor, cursing and rebelling with every ounce of her being. But Maggie was a Christian and out of her convictions she was determined to love this dirty, unkempt, spiteful, unloving little girl. It wasn't easy, but slowly it got through to Annie that she was not the only who was suffering. Maggie also had been abandoned. And gradually Annie began to respond.
But there was another inmate named Maggie who cared for Annie. Maggie talked to her, fed her, even though Annie would throw her food on the floor, cursing and rebelling with every ounce of her being. But Maggie was a Christian and out of her convictions she was determined to love this dirty, unkempt, spiteful, unloving little girl. It wasn't easy, but slowly it got through to Annie that she was not the only who was suffering. Maggie also had been abandoned. And gradually Annie began to respond.
Maggie told her about a school for the blind and Annie began to beg to be sent there, and finally, consent was given and she went to the Perkins Institute. After a series of operations her sight was partially restored. She was able to finish her schooling and graduate at age twenty. Having been blind so long she told the director of Perkins that she wanted to work with blind and difficult children. They found a little girl seven years old in Alabama who was blind and deaf from the age of two. So, Annie Sullivan went to Tuscumbia, Alabama to unlock the door of Helen Keller's dark prison and to set her free.
One human being, in the name of Christ, helping another human being! That's how God's kingdom comes, through small acts of kindness!
Robert W. Bohl, Reluctant Servants
Making a Difference
There is a little story that comes from a book called the Star Fisher. Picture if you will an early morning along a California beach. An elderly man is walking along the edge of the water and stops occasionally, picks up something, and then tosses it into the ocean. He then walks a few steps more, picks up something, and tosses it into the ocean. A young jogger is running along and has been watching the man. Finally his curiosity gets the best of him and he stops and goes over to the old gentleman and asks: "Excuse me, what are you doing?"
The man answered: Well, I am saving the life of these star fish. The storm washed them ashore last night, the sun will be up in thirty minutes, and then they will all die. I am throwing them back into the water to save their lives.
The jogger was a bit astounded. Old man, he said, don't you know that you have thirty miles of beach ahead of you and that millions of those star fish were washed ashore last night. What possible difference do you think that you are going to make. The old man took another step picked up a star fish, and with all his might hurled it into the ocean, then turned to the jogger and said: "Well, son, I guess I made a difference in that one's life."
Traditional, www.Sermons.com
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Fulfilling Your Calling
An anonymous writer has said, "My small son and I were taking a walk. In the far corner of the field we found a small patch of beautiful and fragrant flowers. They were in the middle of weeds, almost completely hidden and unnoticed, yet these flowers were blooming in full beauty and we sensed their fresh fragrance. All of us have met persons unnoticed by many, but who in the middle of struggle and unlikely surroundings far from the center of attention live lives of beauty and fragrance. And living lives which seemed obscure they faithfully fulfilled God's calling for them. God's question on the last day will not be, 'How much were you noticed?' or even 'How much did you do?' Rather, his question will be, 'Were you faithful in fulfilling your calling where I placed you?' "
Peter J. Blackburn, Using What We Have
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Investing in God
It had been a hard winter in the Appalachian area. The snow had piled up deeper and deeper, the mercury dropped, rivers froze, people suffered. The Red Cross used helicopters to fly in supplies. One crew had been working day after day--long hours. They were on their way home late in the afternoon when they saw a little cabin submerged in the snow. There was a thin whisper of smoke coming from the chimney. The rescue team figured they were probably about out of food, fuel, perhaps medicine. Because of the trees they had to put the helicopter down a mile away. They put on heavy packs with emergency supplies, trudged through heavy snow, waist deep, reached the cabin exhausted, panting, perspiring. They pounded on the door. A thin, gaunt mountain woman opened the door and the lead man gasped, "We're from the Red Cross." She was silent for a moment and then she said, "It's been a hard winter, Sonny, I just don't think we can give anything this year."
You might think this message is about a plea for money, but it's not. It's not about investing in stocks or bonds or IRA's. It's about investing in God and what God wants to do in the world.
David Beckett, Spiritual Investment
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Service
Sir Michael Costa, the celebrated conductor, was holding a rehearsal. As the mighty chorus rang out, accompanied by scores of instruments, the piccolo player, a little pint-sized flute, thinking perhaps that his contribution would not be missed amid so much music, stopped playing. Suddenly, the great leader stopped and cried out, "Where is the piccolo?"
The sound of that one small instrument was necessary to the harmony, and the Master Conductor missed it when it dropped out. The point? To the Conductor there are no insignificant instruments in an orchestra. Sometimes the smallest and seemingly least important one can make the greatest contribution and even if it doesn't seem to make that big a difference to the audience at large, THE CONDUCTOR KNOWS IT right away!
In the Church the players and the instruments are diverse - different sizes, different shapes, different notes, different roles to play. But like the piccolo player in Sir Michael's orchestra, we often in our own sovereignty decide that our contribution is not significant. Our contribution couldn't possibly make a difference. And so we quit playing. Stop doing that which we've been given to do. We drop out. But the Conductor immediately notices. From our perspective, our contribution may be small, but from His, it is crucial.
I just have to believe I'm talking to some piccolo players this morning, who have dropped out of the orchestra, for whatever reasons: pain, exhaustion, insecurity, criticism, laziness, misbehavior. Convinced that your contribution doesn't mean a hill of beans in the bigger scheme of things. We have buried our talent in the ground.
For all piccolos who won't play, or at least aren't playing, Jesus has something to say.
Adapted from Richard Love, Blowing Your Horn, Sermon Illustrations.
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Starting Is the First Step
Starting is the first step to succeeding. We cannot be afraid of failure. I am a baseball junkie so I can bring you this: in 1915 Ty Cobb set the record for stolen bases, 96. Seven years later, Max Carey of the Pittsburgh Pirates became second best with 51 stolen bases. Does this mean that Cobb was twice as good as Carey, his closest rival?
Look at the facts: Cobb made 134 attempts, Carey, 53. Cobb failed 38 times; Carey only failed twice. Cobb succeeded 96 times, Carey only 51 times. Cobb's average was only 71 percent. Carey's average was 96 percent. Carey's average was much better than Cobb's. Cobb tried 81 more times than Carey. But here is the key: His 81 additional tries produced 44 more stolen bases. Cobb risked failure 81 more times in one season than his closest rival and Cobb goes down in history as the greatest base runner of all time. Why? Because he tried.
The one in the middle - the faithful servant who does the best he or she possibly can with what has been given - the one who tries. And the result is pleasing, perhaps even surprisingly pleasing, to the Master.
David E. Leininger, www.Sermons.com
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Indifference
In this passage Jesus, in judging the nations, reveals the importance of caring for believers. We all consider it proper to share food, and other things, to others in the church who have needs. We would all acknowledge that it is important to do so. But Jesus considers it of the utmost priority. Here He judges people by how much they care.
In the book The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis, a devil briefs his demon nephew, Wormwood, in a series of letters, on the subtleties and techniques of tempting people. In his writings, the devil says that the objective is not to make people wicked but to make them indifferent. This higher devil cautions Wormwood that he must keep the patient comfortable at all costs. If he should start thinking about anything of importance, encourage him to think about his luncheon plans and not to worry so much because it could cause indigestion. And then the devil gives this instruction to his nephew: "I, the devil, will always see to it that there are bad people. Your job, my dear Wormwood, is to provide me with people who do not care."
Dan Vellinga, What Would You Do?
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I Can Be a Good Business Man
Henry P. Crowell contracted tuberculosis when a boy and couldn't go to school. After hearing a sermon by Dwight L. Moody, young Crowell prayed, "I can't be a preacher, but I can be a good businessman. God, if you will let me make money, I will use it in your service."
Under the doctor's advice Crowell worked outdoors for seven years and regained his health. He then bought the little run-down Quaker Mill at Ravanna, Ohio. Within ten years Quaker Oats was a household word to millions. Henry P. Crowell faithfully gave 60 to 70 percent of his income to God's causes, having advanced from an initial 10 percent.
Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com
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Our Greatest Enemy
The greatest enemy of faith is not doubt; the greatest enemy of faith is fear. Most of the world is controlled by fear, petty and big. Petty fears control people; great fears control nations. We could feed all the people in this world if we would stop building arms, but we are afraid. In the Beatitudes (Sermon on the Mount) Jesus said, "Those of you who make peace will he happy. You will be God's own." Yet even Christians are preoccupied with fear and protecting ourselves because we don't believe what Jesus said. The Sermon on the Mount is an antidote to fear. But we have never seen fear as the crucial issue, only "doubt."
Richard Rohr, Radical Grace, p. 349
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A Little Effort
Apathy is the opposite of Faith: Some years ago in South America, a crew of Peruvian Sailors, headed up the Amazon river came upon a strange sight. It was like a scene from "The Twilight Zone." A Spanish ship was anchored off the coast and all the sailors were stretched out weakly on the deck of the ship. As the Peruvians drew closer, they saw that the Spaniards were in terrible physical condition. They looked the picture of death itself, their lips parched and swollen. They were literally dying of thirst.
"Can we help you?" shouted the Peruvians.
The Spaniards cried out, "Water! Water! We need fresh water!"The Peruvian sailors, surprised at this request, told them to lower their buckets and help themselves.
The Spaniards, fearing they'd been misunderstood cried back, "No, no we need FRESH water!
But they received the same reply form the Peruvians to lower their buckets and help themselves. They finally did lower their buckets into the ocean waters and when they brought the buckets on deck they discovered to their amazement fresh water....
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Memorable quotes from world great leaders
Without your involvement you can’t succeed.
With your involvement you can’t fail.- Dr. Abdul Kalam
1. Henry Ford
Ford is known for his innovative success but he failed five times before he founded the FORD Company.
2. R. H. Macy
Before the success of MACY, he failed in seven businesses and finally succeeded with his new store.
3. Soichiro Honda
The billion-dollar business, that is Honda, started initially with a series of failures. He started making scooters of his own at home and spurred on by his neighbors, finally started his own business.
4. Bill Gates
Gates didn’t seem like a shoe-in for success after dropping out of Harvard and starting a failed first business with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen called Traf-O-Data.
5. Harland David Sanders
Sanders founded KFC and his famous secret chicken recipe was rejected 1,009 times before a restaurant accepted it.
6. Walt Disney
Walt Disney had a bit of a rough start and he was fired by a newspaper editor because, ‘he lacked imagination and had no good ideas’. He kept plugging along, however, and eventually found a recipe for success that worked.
8. Charles Darwin
In his early years, Darwin gave up on having a medical career and considered as a lazy boy. Now, Darwin is well-known for his scientific studies.
9. Isaac Newton
Newton was failed so many times in his school days and was sent off to Cambridge where he finally blossomed into the scholar we know today.
10. Thomas Edison
Edison was fired for being unproductive In his early years. Even as an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb.
11. Orville and Wilbur Wright
After numerous attempts at creating flying machines, several years of hard work, and tons of failed prototypes, the brothers finally created a plane.
13. Abraham Lincoln
After Lincoln was failed many times in business and defeated in numerous runs, he became a greatest leader.
14. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah faced a rough and abusive childhood as well as numerous career setbacks in her life to become one of the most iconic faces on TV.
Spielberg’s name was rejected from the University of Southern California School of Theater, Film and Television three times. Thirty-five years after starting his degree, Spielberg returned to school in 2002 to finally complete his work and earn his BA.
16. J. K. Rowling
Rowling may be rolling in a lot of Harry Potter dough today, but before she published the series of novels she was nearly penniless, severely depressed, divorced, trying to raise a child on her own while attending school and writing a novel.
Most people wouldn’t believe that a man often lauded as the best basketball player of all time was actually cut from his high school basketball team. ‘I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.’
“I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have almost lost 300 games.
26 times I have been trusted to take the game winning shot and I missed.
I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that’s why I succeed.”
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Memorable quotes from world great leaders
With your involvement you can’t fail.- Dr. Abdul Kalam
1. Henry Ford
Ford is known for his innovative success but he failed five times before he founded the FORD Company.
2. R. H. Macy
Before the success of MACY, he failed in seven businesses and finally succeeded with his new store.
3. Soichiro Honda
The billion-dollar business, that is Honda, started initially with a series of failures. He started making scooters of his own at home and spurred on by his neighbors, finally started his own business.
4. Bill Gates
Gates didn’t seem like a shoe-in for success after dropping out of Harvard and starting a failed first business with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen called Traf-O-Data.
5. Harland David Sanders
Sanders founded KFC and his famous secret chicken recipe was rejected 1,009 times before a restaurant accepted it.
6. Walt Disney
Walt Disney had a bit of a rough start and he was fired by a newspaper editor because, ‘he lacked imagination and had no good ideas’. He kept plugging along, however, and eventually found a recipe for success that worked.
Scientists 7. Albert Einstein
Einstein did not speak until he was four and did not read until he was seven, and his teachers and parents thought he was mentally handicapped, slow and anti-social. But he caught on pretty well in the end, winning the Nobel Prize and changing the face of modern physics.8. Charles Darwin
In his early years, Darwin gave up on having a medical career and considered as a lazy boy. Now, Darwin is well-known for his scientific studies.
9. Isaac Newton
Newton was failed so many times in his school days and was sent off to Cambridge where he finally blossomed into the scholar we know today.
10. Thomas Edison
Edison was fired for being unproductive In his early years. Even as an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb.
11. Orville and Wilbur Wright
After numerous attempts at creating flying machines, several years of hard work, and tons of failed prototypes, the brothers finally created a plane.
Public Figures 12. Winston Churchill
This Nobel Prize-winning, twice-elected Prime Minster of the United Kingdom struggled in school and failed the sixth grade. After many years of political failures, finally became the Prime Minister at the ripe old age of 62.13. Abraham Lincoln
After Lincoln was failed many times in business and defeated in numerous runs, he became a greatest leader.
14. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah faced a rough and abusive childhood as well as numerous career setbacks in her life to become one of the most iconic faces on TV.
Writers and Artists
15. Steven SpielbergSpielberg’s name was rejected from the University of Southern California School of Theater, Film and Television three times. Thirty-five years after starting his degree, Spielberg returned to school in 2002 to finally complete his work and earn his BA.
16. J. K. Rowling
Rowling may be rolling in a lot of Harry Potter dough today, but before she published the series of novels she was nearly penniless, severely depressed, divorced, trying to raise a child on her own while attending school and writing a novel.
Athletes
17. Michael JordanMost people wouldn’t believe that a man often lauded as the best basketball player of all time was actually cut from his high school basketball team. ‘I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.’
“I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have almost lost 300 games.
26 times I have been trusted to take the game winning shot and I missed.
I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that’s why I succeed.”
