It's not only what you have got, but it's how we use what we have got - with love- that matters!
We have nothing to do with how much ability we've got, or how little, but with what we do with what we have. The man with great talent is apt to be puffed up, and the man with little (talent) to belittle the little. Poor fools! God gives it, much or little. Our part is to be faithful, doing the level best with every bit and scrap. And we will be if Jesus' spirit controls.
S.D. Gordon, The Bent-knee Time.
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Jack complains to God in prayer about his finances. "It's getting worse, Lord, after all my prayers to you. Give me a break. Let me at least win a lottery." Then he hears a voice from heaven, "Give me a break yourself. Buy at least a lottery ticket!"
****Michel DeVerteuil
General Comments
This Sunday’s passage continues last Sunday’s. It too is a long parable telling us “what the kingdom of heaven is like”, i.e. “what it is like” to experience grace coming into our world.
Most people find this parable difficult because of the master’s seemingly exaggerated anger; also he is very hard on the third servant who was already less gifted than the others. If this is “what the kingdom of heaven is like”, then it is “bad news” indeed.
We must find an interpretation therefore which is both faithful to the text and also brings “the good news of the kingdom” to all, but in particular to the “little ones” (those with “only one talent”) of our communities.The key to such an interpretation is to remember Jesus’ situation when he gave this teaching. As with last week’s passage, he was at the end of his public ministry, frustrated at the hardness of heart of the leaders of the people. The Mosaic tradition had taught generosity of spirit and compassion for the oppressed; the leaders had let this glorious tradition become their personal possession, an excuse for meanness and exclusiveness, a way of protecting their positions of privilege.
Jesus is highly indignant at what they have done with God’s gift – rightly so. We need to enter into his feelings. The God of the bible (Old and New Testament) is so passionately committed to the cause of the poor that when they are ill treated, “his anger flares”, as the first reading of the 31st Sunday reminded us. Nowadays we Christians tend to “soothe” God’s anger, whereas we should be asking for forgiveness that we are so passive (so lacking in anger) at the injustices of the world.
The “property” in the parable then, is not personal wealth. To interpret it like that makes the parable a teaching on being good capitalists! The master then becomes a go-ahead CEO angry that his company has not made the profit it should have. The “property” in the parable is God’s precious gift intended to multiply and be life-giving for all. Its true purpose is distorted by the servant’s meanness (this is why he is called “good-for-nothing”)
The parable then is giving two messages.
– To those who have been made to feel excluded from the kingdom (“tax collectors and prostitutes”) Jesus brings the “good news” that this is totally against God’s will. In fact God is very angry that they are being excluded.
– To his disciples he issues a stern warning: do not fall prey to a similar narrow mindedness. The history of the Church (like our individual stories) tells us how right he was to warn them. We all fall into the trap of seeing our talents as our personal possession that we can do what we like with. God’s will is that we see them as gifts to be shared so that they can be multiplied.
We remember examples of something similar happening.
– The teaching of Jesus, so full of potential for transforming the world and yet so often “hidden under a bushel”. Christians have “dug a hole in the ground and buried it”.
– Nature, which God has made so bountiful, now becomes a matter for personal greed with the resultant scarcities.
– Family traditions of openness to all, allowed to degenerate into snobbishness and racism.
– Individual talents (physical, mental, spiritual) intended to be a blessing for families and societies, become things to be bought and sold. We celebrate the “Jesus person” who made us conscious of this betrayal.The parable is not all negative. It shows another possibility – the first two servants, trusting and free spirited, and experiencing abundance. We celebrate people who have followed that path, communities too and social moments.
He is the kind of leader who does not cling to power. He entrusts his “property” (his cause) to those who work with him without counting the risk.
This parable is crucial teaching for our modern Western culture which glorifies mistrust as not merely necessary but actually beneficial. This aberration has affected the way we Christians now tend to see Jesus – our first concern becomes to “protect” his message against our “competitors” notably the adherents of other religions. Our faith then makes us mean spirited and elitist – we are no longer life-giving for the world.
Verse 29 is a teaching found in other contexts, e.g. Matthew 13:12 and Luke 8:18. We are free to meditate on it by itself therefore. Here again, the saying seems unfair but if read creatively turns out to be a little gem of wisdom. This “thing” that when people “have it” they are “given more” whereas when people “don’t have it” even the little they have is “taken away”, is trust. People who have no trust in themselves, in others or in life, end up losing “even what they have”. On the contrary, people who have that kind of trust end up being “given more”.
The verse invites us to celebrate Jesus the teacher (and those who have played a similar role in our lives):
– he reassures those who trust that they are on the right track; there is not the slightest trace of
cynicism in him, on the contrary his message is, “go ahead and trust”. How we need teachers and leaders like that!
– he issues a stern warning to those who have no faith. “Learn to believe in yourself”. Jesus doesn’t molly coddle people, “Get off your butt and stop pitying yourself! Otherwise you will lose everything you have.”
Scriprture
Prayer Reflection
“If at times we are inclined to feel discouraged, let us not be dismayed. The human will remains the great force the Creator designed it to be.” … President Hassanali of Trinidad and Tobago, speaking to the nation after the attempted coup, July 1990
Lord, we thank you for the gift of free will.
It is this that enables us, even when we are discouraged,
to receive what life brings us,
like servants being entrusted with a certain amount of talents by their master,
to go off promptly and make something of our opportunities,
and when the time for accounting comes,
to come forward cheerfully and show what we have accomplished.
“If someone tells me that he doesn’t believe in God, I ask him to describe the God he doesn’t believe in, and I nearly always have to tell him that I do not believe in such a God either.” …….Lord Hailsham
Lord, forgive us Church people that we have given others a wrong impression of you.Many have heard that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered.
As a result, they are afraid,
afraid to take risks, to trust themselves or to trust life.
And so the talents you have given them, they dig a big hole in the ground and hide them.
Humanity suffers, and so do they.
Lord, when we get into positions of authority we become afraid to trust people.
Teach us to be like Jesus.
He walked the earth for some years, instructed his little community,
then, when he had lived his appointed time,
he entrusted his mission to his followers
giving each of us talents according to our ability;
then he set out on his journey back to you,
knowing that he would return after a very long time
and go through his accounts with us,
that even though some would hide their talents in the ground,
others would trade with them,
and his word would multiply indefinitely.
Lord, a mark of our civilization is that everyone is afraid to fail.
That is because we demand too much of one another.
We expect to reap where nothing has been sown,
and to gather where nothing was scattered.
Then people do not take risks
and do not make of their talents what they could.
Lord, help us to face old age with trust in you and in ourselves,knowing that you give us responsibilities
each one of us in proportion to our ability,
and once we are faithful in the small things you ask us to do,
you will trust us with greater things, and we will join in your happiness.
“Our deeds do not simply disappear into the black hole of time. They are recorded somewhere and judged.” …President Havel of Czechoslovakia
Lord, we thank you for those who keep alive in our society the idea of judgement,
that you have entrusted your propert to us,
and you will come back to go through your accounts with us.
“We are not on earth as museum keepers, but to cultivate a flourishing garden of life
and prepare a glorious future.” …Pope John XXIII
Lord, we thank you for good Pope John
and for all those who have made humanity more free,
urging us to see life in positive terms,
reminding us that the only thing which seems to make you angry
is when we are afraid to use the talents you have entrusted to us
as if the world were ruled by a hard man
who reaps where he has not sown
and gathers where he has not scattered.
Lord, trust is the most precious of your gifts.
It is the kind of thing that when we have it we are given more
and end up having more than enough;
but if we do not have it, then even the little we have is taken away.
We pray that we adults may hand on that gift to our children.
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Thomas O’Loughlin
Introduction to the Celebration
Friends in Jesus Christ, we are all called to build the kingdom of God, but no two people have exactly the same task in this divine project which we call ‘creation’. Each of us is called to bring God’s love, presence, light and peace into a particular world in which we are the centres. This is our vocation; this is the unique set of talents that has been entrusted to each of us by God. Today our thanksgiving focuses on these sets of talents that each of us has been given; and repentance is for those times when we as individuals have hidden our talents and failed to build the kingdom, and our prayer is that we will each follow our unique vocation more closely in future.Homily Notes
1. ‘Vocation’ is a word that always conjures up churchy images; we know somehow it belongs to the ’sphere of religion' than the world of ‘career choices’. We also knpw that it isa word that is intensely personal and individual: it affects me and my living of my life.
2. However, many Christians – and this is true especially of Catholics – have become very confused (since the early nineteenth century) about what is referred to when we talk about the theology of vocation. For Catholics, in particular, it is ironic that the traditional theology of vocation has been retained for studies of Mary, but has been largely abandoned in practical spirituality. The problem is that ‘a religious vocation’ has become almost identical to ‘ a vocation to be a religious’; and, as a result, ‘vocation’ is now linked with having sufficient personnel for church offices. An example of this confusion is that recruiting men for the presbyterate is never referred to as ‘recruitment and training’ but is called ‘fostering vocations’. If a homily can try to break the link between ‘vocation’ and ecclesiastical offices, then it may have created a space where members of the community might be able to reflect on their individual vocations – remembering that each person’s vocation is unique.
3. When we speak of bishops or priests or deacons (or any other ministry) we are essentially speaking of people the community (not just this community but every local church) needs if it is to live its corporate life within Christ. One must have someone who has oversight of the practice of being disciples, one must have those who preside over the Eucharist, and one must have those who assist the community in various defined ways. These are publicly recognisable tasks and so common roles within the community. But a vocation relates to each person in the world, however small or large it is, at which that person is the centre. It could be the need to care for a sick relative. It might be that someone is the only person who can mediate and act as reconciler between those in a family dispute. It might be the need to bear witness to the demands of acting ethically in a boardroom meeting. It might be that someone has to put his/her comfort on hold as he / she is the only person who can provide a service to the community such as clearing blocked drains on a miserable day or it might be learning to sing a difficult psalm for the liturgy. It might be a parent teaching a child to know our prayers. It might be giving resources (money, time, skill) to some project that advances the kingdom of peace. Vocation is about the call each of us has to build the kingd?m in that precise part of the whole creation where we are located.4. A vocation is common to all the baptised, but what it calls on us to do is different for each of us: in the gospel no two people got the same number of talents. We all must build the kingdom, but the demands that commission makes are never the same for any two individuals. Church ministries are essentially similar – this is the very presupposition of ordination; while vocations are essentially different as no two individuals occupy the same position in time / space, and within a set of relationships and skills, in the creation. This vocation is essentially religious: it involves God’s providence and our loving co-operation by which we move along our individual pilgrim’s path while at the same time the whole church moves along its pilgrim route as the People of God. This uniqueness of vocation is now almost exclusively only spoken of by Catholics in relation to the vocation of Mary; but each Christian’s vocation is similarly unique: only that individual can bring the kingdom of God into existence in her /his situation.
5. Obviously there are overlaps between ministries and vocations: there are some whose vocation includes a formal ministry; but even then the way that ministry is used for the glory of God will be individual to the person, his strengths and weaknesses, his skills and native genius, the place, the culture, the time, and the assortment of people who make up the community in which he uses his ministry. But if when you hear the word ‘vocation’ you think of someone wearing religious garb: then you have a problem in your understanding of what it is to be a Christian!
6. Here are a few slogans that can help clarify the situation:
(i) A religious vocation is not the same as a vocation to be a religious.
(ii) Ministerial tasks are common to many people; vocations are unique to individuals.
(iii) Ministerial tasks are visible to the group; a vocation is only visible to the individual.
(iv) All Christians have a vocation; only some will be given ministerial tasks.
(v) All have received talents; only you know what they are and how best to use them.
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John Litteton
Gospel Reflection
What type of people are we? Would we describe ourselves as predominantly adventurous or overly cautious? How creative are we with the talents that God has given us? These are relevant questions to ask when determining whether or not we use and develop God’s many and varied gifts.
Our various talents are an expression of God’s love for us as, indeed, is life itself, which is the greatest of all God’s gifts. As expressions of God’s love, our talents are not intended to be hidden or to remain unused. Rather, they are meant to be developed by us as a sign that we appreciate God’s love and blessing.God does not give us talents just for ourselves. Our strengths and talents are best used for the good of other people and for the good of the Church. This is how we honour and glorify God. Unfortunately, many of us may hide our talents or, even worse, we may waste them by using them in useless and often sinful ways.
For example, we may know that we are effective communicators. Yet we choose not to use our gift of communication to convey the teachings of the gospel and the Church because we do not want to be unpopular. We prefer to remain undisturbed. Nevertheless, if we took a risk and communicated the truth we might bring another person consolation and happiness. Ultimately we might be God’s instrument in guiding that person to salvation.
Similarly, we may have been blessed with gifts of listening and patience. But if we do not use these talents to bring peace and harmony to troubled relationships around us, we are wasting God’s wonderful gifts.
Occasionally, we think that other people are more talented than we are and we envy them. Or we observe people ignoring and wasting their obvious strengths and talents — strengths and talents that we do not have — and we are moved to self-pity. We always remember, however, that God has blessed each one of us with a unique combination of gifts and talents that he expects us to use and develop. These talents vary considerably and we do not all receive the same gifts and strengths, either in kind or in abundance.
The invitation is to trust God by using and developing our talents and strengths to the best of our ability. Thus our personal talents complement the talents that other people lack and we enable them to share with us the strengths that we lack. In effect, by refusing to be creative and generous, we cause our talents to die. By using them well we demonstrate that we are faithful and trustworthy.What type of people are we? Do we use our talents creatively or do we hide them? The challenge of the parable of the talents is to recognise our God-given talents and strengths so that we can use and develop them as we help to build the kingdom of God in our world.
For meditation
You have shown you can be faithful in small things. I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness. (Mt 25:21)
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Donal Neary
Well Done !
Why did he hide the money? Maybe he was asked to be dishonest – to use the money for purposes that diddled others. At the time of this parable most money was made dishonestly. Today this could be like trafficking in drugs or sex, treating our migrant workers badly, paying off violence or buying in a way that diminishes others. The servant was an honest man and suffered for it.Did you ever feel you were being compromised by being asked to do something that you knew was wrong? A person pressured into watching internet porn, or engaging in sexual activity, or trying out alcohol? They may feel they will suffer in the future if they don’t give in.
The godfathers of crime and drugs and violence have a lot to answer for. they are those that make money at the expense of others. This is one way of reading this parable: that people try to get other people to do their dirty work, and they can punish for not doing it.
The man in the end got thrown out by the greedy master – but from God he will, ‘Well done, come and inherit the kingdom.’
Today we are encouraged by the man who would not do the dirty work for anyone, would not take part in schemes that damaged others, and is the one who really ‘did well.’
****
From the connections:
ILLUSTRATIONS
From Fr. Jude Botelho
FROM FR. TONY kADAVIL:
1) Chance-taking adventurous voyagers. Columbus
trusted his maps and calculations, considered his risks and sailed off to India
– only to encounter the “new world.” Magellan based his charts and maps on the
most current information then available, and boldly circumnavigated the
globe. A few centuries later in their search for a Northwest Passage,
Lewis and Clark set off, crossed the entire North American continent
and explored the nation. All these explorers had at least one thing
in common. They all based their momentous journeys on maps that were mostly
inaccurate, hopelessly flawed or vastly mistaken. Yet each of these adventurers
went ahead, accepted the risks, plunged into unknown territories, mapped them,
and changed the world. It is precisely because of their risk-taking that the
face of the planet was re-drawn and the dreams of future generations were
re-shaped. Those without the vision, without the courage to take risks, are
quick to label others as crazy, crackpots, fools, and failures. In the parable
of the talents this week, Jesus gives a stern warning — discipleship does not
promise complete safety. On the contrary, true disciples are called to take
risks and venture beyond the known and the secure. . (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
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. . (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
3) The man who did not bury his talent: Antonio
Stradivari was born in Cremona, Italy, in 1644. Because Antonio’s voice was
high and squeaky, he did not pass the audition for the Cremona Boys’ Choir.
When he took violin lessons, the neighbors persuaded his parents to make him
stop. Yet Antonio still wanted to make music. His friends made fun of
him because his only talent was wood-carving. When Antonio was 22, he
became an apprentice to a well-known violinmaker, 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,
each one bearing a label that read, “Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat
Anno……” (“Antonio Stradivarius of Cremona made in the year…”) They are the most
sought-after violins in the world and sell for more than $100,000 each. Antonio
couldn’t sing, or play, or preach, or teach, but he used the
ability he had, and his violins are still making beautiful music today.
Antonio is a challenge to people who have only a single talent and who try to
bury the talent for fear of failure — like the lazy servant in Jesus’ parable.
. (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
4. 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, 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!
5. 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”
27-Additional anecdotes:
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. When he got there,
he was told that classes were already filled. But that didn’t stop him. He took
a job at the school doing menial work: sweeping floors, making beds, and doing
anything they wanted, just so he could be around the environment of learning.
He did these jobs so well that the faculty found room for him as a student. He
worked his way up at the school, became a famous teacher, the first black
faculty member at Hampton Institute. He became a writer and the author of Up
From Slavery. He was a popular public speaker. And he eventually founded
Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, where he brought George Washington Carver to
teach and do all his research which changed and improved farming techniques.
Booker T. Washington used his God-given talents, and we all gained from them. .
(Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
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, with the
condition that the violin never again be played. What a pity! The absence of
use and handling resulted in the decay of the wood used in the instrument. A
violin that is constantly used can be preserved and in some cases even grow
richer in tone for hundreds of years, Paginini’s wish just resulted in the
crumbling of his precious violin in its case. . (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
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
laugh. 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. . (Fr.
Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
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.” . (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
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-Cola. 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, in other words, “the pragmatic stuff that preoccupies the
middle-aged.” He says, “I was overly concerned with what would happen next week
and the week after next.” John Sculley knew that he was safe and happy at
Pepsico. But he also knew that he had grown to dislike the competitive nature
of the business. He also knew how bored he was. Steven Jobs at Apple Computer
sensed this. And so, he finally confronted his new friend with this pointed
question. He said to John, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling
sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?” That question
penetrated deep into the heart and mind of John Sculley. It changed the course
of his life. He therefore went to Apple Computer and helped it to grow into one
of the most successful corporations in the world. Mr. Sculley’s life was
changed because he took the risk and decided to invest in himself and others,
and to grow. [John Sculley, Odyssey (New York: Harper &
Row, 1987), p. 90.] (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
6) Talents- use them or lose them: There was an American
businessman by the name of Wilson. He was tired of the Great Depression, rising
taxes, and increasing crime, and in 1940 he sold his home and business and
moved to an island in the South Pacific to get away from it all. Balmy and
ringed with beautiful beaches, it was a paradise. Sounds like the perfect
setting doesn’t it. You know the name of the island? Iwo Jima. For those too
young to recall, 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. (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
7) “What we are about is faithfulness.” Back in the 1940’s
Clarence Jordon founded a farm in Americus, Georgia, and called it Koinonia
[Christian Fellowship, Communion with God and with Fellow-Christians] Farm.
Koinonia was a community of poor whites and blacks who cooperated in earning a
living. The integrated status of the community bothered many local citizens.
They tried everything possible to wreck Koinonia. They boycotted its farm
products, and slashed the workers’ tires when they came to town. Finally, in
1954, the Ku Klux Klan decided to get rid of Koinonia Farms. One night they
came and burned every building except Dr. Jordon’s home. They chased off all of
the families except for the Jordons and one black family. The next day a local
newspaper reporter came to the farm to see what remained. The rubble was still
smoldering. But Clarence Jordon was busy planting and hoeing. With a haughty
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. (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
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 four times. But that’s the easy part. In Earl’s
mid-fifties he left his teaching job and began a new career, selling Bibles.
Earl bought 10,000 Bibles from a publisher getting out of Bible sales and sold
them all. Today, Earl is the founder and president of Riverside Book and Bible House,
which sold $33 million worth of books last year. He’s succeeded with a lot of
hard work and a commitment to get Bibles into the homes of America. Earl began
a new career when most are preparing for retirement. He wasn’t ready to buy
into that classic American line, “I’ve done my time, I owe myself some easy
livin’.” And he’s going strong nearly thirty years later [Christianity Today (August
17, 1987), p. 14ff.] I believe Jesus loves the Earl Fitzes of this world. That
is the lesson of the parable of the talents. (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
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.
(Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
10) Use the gift of the vote: One voter in each precinct in
the United States can determine the next President of the United States. In
1948 just one additional vote in each precinct would have elected Thomas Dewey
as President. In 1960 one vote in each precinct in Illinois would have elected
Richard Nixon as President. Thomas Jefferson was elected President by one vote
in the Electoral College. So was John Quincy Adams. Rutherford B. Hays was
elected President by one vote. One vote gave Statehood to California, Idaho,
Oregon, Texas, and Washington. The Draft Act of World War II passed the House
by one vote. Your one vote is important, and a spiritual gift is just like a
vote. You either use it or you lose it. (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
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 B-flat. 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 B-flat 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. (Fr.
Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
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. Dr. Mays taught 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. (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
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 they placed their poster. It read like this:
“Young Men! Join the parachutist forces of France. It is more dangerous to
cross this street than to jump with a parachute.” The poster was a great
success until someone scribbled this message at the bottom of the poster: “I
would gladly join, but the recruiting office is on the other side of the
street!” [Eric W. Johnson, A Treasury of Humor, (New York: Ivy
Books, 1994), p. 187.] I doubt that many potential parachutists were deterred
by having to cross the street, but there are also many people who would never
parachute no matter how safe it was. The very idea turns their knees to jelly.
They don’t want to take any risk in life just like the lazy servant in Jesus’
parable. (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
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? (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
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
had a handicapping condition, she developed a unique ministry to people who are
lonely and hurting. Nancy ran ads in the personals section of the newspaper
that read: “If you are lonely, or have a problem, call me. I am in a wheelchair
and seldom get out. We can share our problems with each other. Just call. I’d
love to talk.” From that simple ad, the results were truly amazing. Nancy
claims that she receives at least thirty calls each week from persons who need
someone to talk to and listen to their pain. Nancy spends most of her day
comforting and counseling people. She has become someone to lean on, for
hundreds of people with problems. Campolo asked her how she became handicapped.
Nancy’s answer surprised, even shocked him. “By trying to commit suicide,” she
said. Nancy went on to explain, “I was living alone. I had no friends. I hated
my job, and I was constantly depressed.” Nancy decided to jump from the window
of her apartment “to end it all. But instead of being killed, she ended up in
the hospital paralyzed from the waist down. While she was in the hospital,
Nancy said, “Jesus appeared to me and told me that I’d had a healthy body and a
crippled soul but from then on I would have a crippled body and a healthy soul.
I gave my life to Christ right there and then,” she said. “When I got out of
the hospital, I tried to think of how a woman like me in a wheelchair could do
some good, and I came up with the idea of putting the ad in the newspaper.” [Wake
Up America! Tony Campolo (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1991),
pp. 87-88.] Nancy does not have some of the opportunities you and I have. But
she is making maximum use of the opportunities she has. She is among the
blessed of this world. Today’s Gospel challenges us to show gratitude to God by
making use of the talents which God has given to us. (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
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
says that there are actually seven forms of intelligence. Some people are
gifted with linguistic intelligence, he says. These are our writers and poets.
Others have what he calls logical/mathematical intelligence. They make good
accountants and scientists. 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
claims that everyone he has ever tested has scored high on at least one
of these seven forms of intelligence. All of us are gifted in our own
way. Many of us are smarter than we think we are. Don’t you wish that someone
had told you that a long time ago? Do tell your children, please. Many of them
will go through life thinking they are dumb because their form of intelligence
is not valued in school. All of us are gifted. All of us have what we need to
succeed. God has created us differently so that different tasks will get done
in this world. But all of us have a place where we fit in. All of us have what
we need to succeed. WE ALL HAVE WHAT WE NEED TO SUCCEED. God has given us all
we need! The sad thing is that we do not appreciate the gifts we have. (Fr.
Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
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. 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 a right foot made perfect contact.
Tom later said in 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 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, talents 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’ quoted by Fr. Botelho)
(Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
18) Sharing the best you have: Mother
Theresa of Calcutta was summoned to Court on the charges of converting children
to the Catholic faith. When she stood in the dock, the judge asked her if the
charges were true. She asked for a baby to be given to her. She held the baby
in her arms and said, “This child I picked up from the dust bin; I don’t know
to what religion this child belongs or what language it speaks… I give this
child my love, my time, my care, my food… but the best thing that I have in my
life is the faith in Jesus Christ. Can’t I give this child the best I have in
my life?” The case was dismissed in favour of Mother Theresa. (John Rose in
John’s Sunday Homilies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
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 disintegrating. 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). (Fr.
Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
20) Staying Awake: In his autobiography, Report to
Greco, Nikos Kazantzakis recounts a conversation he once had with an old
monk. Kazantzakis, a young man at the time, was visiting a monastery and was
very taken by a famed ascetic, Father Makarios, who lived there. But a series
of visits with the old monk left him with some ambivalent feelings as well. The
monk’s austere lifestyle stirred a certain religious romanticism in
Kazantzakis, but it repelled him too; he wanted the romanticism, but in a
more-palatable way. Here’s their conversation as Kazantzakis records it: “Yours
is a hard life, Father. I too want to be saved. Is there no other way?” “More
agreeable?” asked the ascetic, smiling compassionately. “More human, Father.”
“One, only one.” “What is that?” “Ascent. To climb a series of steps. From the
full stomach to hunger, from the slaked throat to thirst, from joy to
suffering. God sits at the summit of hunger, thirst, and suffering; the devil
sits at the summit of the comfortable life. Choose.” “I am still young. The
world is nice. I have time to choose.” Reaching out, the old monk touched my
knee and said: “Wake up, my child. Wake up before death wakes you up.” I
shuddered and said: “I am still young.” “Death loves the young,” the old man
replied. “The inferno loves the young. Life is like a lighted candle, easily
extinguished. Take care—wake up! Wake up! Wake up, before death wakes you up!”–
In a less dramatic expression that’s a virtual leitmotif in the Gospels. Jesus
is always telling us to wake up, to stay awake, to be vigilant, to be more
alert to a deeper reality. What’s meant by that? How are we asleep to depth?
How are we to wake up and stay awake? (Fr. Ron Roklster, Center for
Liturgy). (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
21) “That was the happiest moment of my life.” : It has been
said that our true birthplace is the place in which we awaken to our gifts and
talents. Often it takes an outsider to recognize the talents. Just as the sun
helps to bring to birth the fragrant flowers that lie hidden in the soil
of the fields, so there are people who find their fulfillment in helping to
unfold the talents God has deposited in others. The Russian writer, Fydor
Dostoevsky, was only 20 when he wrote his first book, entitled, Poor
Folk. The foremost critic of the day was a man by the name of Belinksy.
When Belinsky read the manuscript of the young Dostoevsky he said: “You have a
great gift. Take good care of this gift and you will become a great
writer.” Dostoevsky was intoxicated by the words of the famous critic.
Many years later he wrote, “That was the happiest moment of my life.” The
recognition of Belinsky confirmed him in his belief of his own talent. It did
more. It launched him on his way. He spent the rest of his life expressing
himself through his writing. One of our greatest needs is to express ourselves.
Unless we express ourselves, we cannot realize or fulfill ourselves. Sadly, a
lot of talent goes unexpressed. It is in living that we discover our talent.
Every talent has to be discovered. A lot of discipline, patience, and hard work
are required if a talent is to bear full fruit. We see this in the first two
servants in Jesus‘ story. We see the opposite of it in the case of the third
servant. It wasn’t the harshness of the master that prevented him from using
his talent, nor was it lack opportunity, He himself was to blame. We can’t take
credit for our talent. Life is God’s gift to us. What we do with our life is
our gift to God. (Flor McCarthy in New Sunday & Holy Day Liturgies). (Fr.
Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
22) “Today you have proved to me that there is a God in
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). (Fr.
Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
23) In 1644, Antonio Stradivari 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, and today, they 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.) (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
24) “Michelangelo, talent is cheap; dedication is costly!”
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). (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
25) “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 some of his slave-servants in varying amounts. (Fr.
Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
26) Caught Off-Guard: In 79 AD, the volcano Vesuvius, which
rises just off the Bay of Naples, Italy, erupted violently, totally destroying
Pompeii, a city of 20,000 people. Much of the city was excavated in the
nineteenth century, but archeologists are still uncovering certain
neighborhoods. Sometimes the volcanic ash simply buried victims alive. Their
bones have long since turned to dust, but the ash in many cases formed a firm
mold around them at the moment of death; and by filling the mold with plaster,
the excavators can obtain perfect images of those who died in the anguish of
the disaster. In 1949, the archeologists reproduced a startling cast of one of
the Pompeian victims. He lay face down as if death had taken him completely
unawares. In one hand was a small crowbar. In the other, clasped tight in his
fist, were several gold coins. To all appearances he was a thief who had taken
advantage of the confusion of others to break into a building and rob the
owner. The gold had done him little good. “… You are not in the dark, brothers,
that the day should catch you off guard, like a thief.” (1 Thessalonians, 5:4.
(Today’s second reading). (Father Robert F. McNamara). (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
27) Trading with God-given talents: Some years ago, a Filipino girl who studied in the United States of America (USA) made big news because of her incredible intellectual prowess. Maricel Aragon-Yicks, a relative of the late Philippines President, Manuel Quezon, finished her grade school in two years. At eight, she graduated from high school and at eleven, she took up, not one but two courses simultaneously – law and medicine. Everybody considered her as extraordinary, a “bionic.” Fr. San Luis continued to narrate another true story that what was most touching is the story of a Chinese boy who came from a very poor family in Hong Kong never dreamed that would go far. His parents left him behind to do a housekeeping job in Australia. Gifted with talents for doing stunts and acrobatics, he developed and cashed in on these until he rose to become a famous movie actor multi-millionaire and Asia superstar. That is Jacky Chan, the Kung Fu kid. (Fr. Benitez) (Fr. Tony) http://frtonyshomilies.com/ L/20
***********3. In Whose Hands
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.
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...
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
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.
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!
**********
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.”
