Gospel Reflections 800x800 gold outline

Today's Gospel: Luke 19, 11-28

Which of the servants do you relate to most? The good and faithful servant, the moderately successful servant, or the fearful servant who, with wringing hands, buried her gifts in the sand?

Sometimes I think women struggle with this more than most: we resist cultivating, celebrating, and unleashing our talents in the world. We sometimes mistake this radical self-doubt for humility. When I was young, I would literally walk into a job interview with my eyes on the floor and say, “You don’t want to hire me, do you? I didn’t think so.” Then I’d slink out. I had tremendous fear and insecurity about my gifts and charisms.

It took me some years to grow into an authentic gratitude for my gifts, to reverence the woman God has created in me, to reverence my mission. Thank you, Lord, I now love the talents and gifts I have been given and cannot wait to use them to build up the Kingdom. We have a responsibility—a very happy one—to develop and steward the gifts God has given us, to put them to work in the world, to serve the King and build up his Kingdom.

What holds you back? Can you give those obstacles to Jesus? Will you let him transform them?

Lord of all creation, you have given me a generous share in your creating, saving, redeeming action in the world. In your kindness, reveal to me the ways I make myself smaller—out of fear or fatigue or distraction—any destructive ways that I bury or reject my talents rather than steward them with discipline and joy. I want to be a good and faithful, effective, creative servant, a woman fully alive in her humanity and flourishing in her charisms. Jesus, put me to good work!

Ponder:

What holds you back? Can you give those obstacles to Jesus? Will you let him transform them?

Pray:

Lord of all creation, you have given me a generous share in your creating, saving, redeeming action in the world. In your kindness, reveal to me the ways I make myself smaller—out of fear or fatigue or distraction—any destructive ways that I bury or reject my talents rather than steward them with discipline and joy. I want to be a good and faithful, effective, creative servant, a woman fully alive in her humanity and flourishing in her charisms. Jesus, put me to good work!

 

Copyright 2016 Elizabeth M. Kelly

Elizabeth Kelly is an award-winning speaker and the author of five books, including Reasons I Love Being Catholic. She is trained as a spiritual director in the Ignatian exercises and leads retreats with a particular focus on helping women to flourish in their faith. She teaches in Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas (MN). Her website is www.emkbooks.com.