Some people don’t think they have talents, but we all do. Everyone. For example, we can always call a neighbor, visit a sick person, counsel someone in need, or work with the disabled. We can also pray. And, we can really do all these things on our own time. It doesn’t have to be an organized effort.
These talents we have been given are gifts from God, and St. Peter tells us “Put all your gifts at the service of others.” That’s what God is telling us. Christ tells us not to light a lamp and put it under a bushel basket – instead put it on a mountaintop where it will be useful.
We remember the parable of the fig tree, where Jesus and the Apostles are hungry and walking along the road when they spot a fig tree but find no fruit on it. What does the Son of God do? He says that never again will the tree bear fruit, and the tree withers in their presence.
What will God say to us whenever we don’t produce fruit in our own lives? To learn this, we need to build up our relationships with Almighty God. Each of us has that obligation to build a personal relationship with God because we stand alone on Judgment Day. That is why the Church is so important because that is where we learn about Christ – in the Mass, the Eucharist and the Sacraments. People should go to Mass because of their need for Christ – not because we have to, but because we want to go.
Editor’s note: The passing of our friend and longtime advisor Msgr. Thomas McGread in April was a tremendous loss to all who came to know him and work with him in developing stewardship as a way of life. But Msgr. McGread’s legacy will continue to live on through our work, through the Msgr. McGread Stewardship Conference in Wichita, Kan., and through this blog. We are fortunate to have in our archives many of his writings and teachings. The Catholic Steward will continue to share these with our followers as we continue to live Msgr. McGread’s vision for stewardship and evangelization in the Church.
