Daily Reflections ...

When I read this gospel, my first thought is fear! I hope that the Master is satisfied with my efforts. Have I done enough with what I was given? But also pity for the last guy. He was scared witless that he would lose the lot, and feared the master’s response if he came back to discover it was all gone. It feels like a tale of gamblers. Some are happy to place their chips in a high risk, high return investment, while others are just happy to put it under the bed, knowing that it will always be there for a rainy day.

On reflection, I believe that this gospel speaks to us about timidity. God is asking us to be brave, to take risks for our faith. To speak the word of God, even though our voice may quiver. To speak the truth, even though our legs may shake.

Today is also the feast of St Monica. After reading about her life, she was not a timid woman. She stood up to men in her life to promote the truth. Her husband, her bishop, and even her son, St Augustine, tried to stop her from furthering God’s kingdom. She was outspoken, tenacious, and extraordinarily faithful.

Let us be like St Monica, let us be brave, and let us take risks for our faith. Let us take our talents from under the bed and use them to make the Kingdom of God a reality in our world today.

by Katherine Gilmore