Dear friends,

As I mentioned in some of my past articles and homilies on stewardship, we often think of stewardship in terms of tithing or charitable giving. Still, it's a much broader concept that encompasses all aspects of our lives. Last week, we considered the stewardship of time. We pointed out that time is the one commodity we all possess, yet so often squander. However, unlike money, it cannot be saved or earned back. Every second that passes is gone forever.

This profound truth makes the concept of Stewardship of Time not just a philosophical ideal, but a practical and essential discipline for living a meaningful and fulfilling life. Looked at this way, stewardship, in its truest sense, is about responsible management of something entrusted to our care. We are not the owners of time; rather, we are its temporary custodians.

This week, we turn our attention to the stewardship of TALENT. As I have emphasized several times before, each of us has been given unique gifts and abilities—our talents. Our parish is full of a variety of talents. We have Teachers, Doctors, Engineers, Businessmen and women, etc. But what does it mean to be a good steward with these talents? And in any case, what is a talent?

The word "talent" has a profound biblical origin. It comes more explicitly from the parable of the talents in the Gospel of Matthew (25:14-30), where a master entrusts his servants with different amounts of money—talents—before he goes on a journey. We are told that two of the servants invest their talents and double them, while the third buries his out of fear. The master praises the first two for their faithfulness and rebukes the third for his inaction. The parable teaches us that our gifts, whether they're skills, knowledge, resources, or spiritual gifts, are not meant to be hoarded or ignored or used selfishly. Instead, we're called to use them to serve God and others. We are called to invest in them and make them grow and bear fruit.

Like stewardship of time, the stewardship of talent is similarly about recognizing that our abilities, both big and small, are not our own; they are on loan from God to be increased and used to serve Him and our neighbors. From this perspective, our focus shifts from self-aggrandizement to service.

Are you a good listener? That’s a talent you can use to comfort a friend. Do you have a talent for organizing? Use it to help plan a community event or participate in organizing our parish festivals or school galas. Are you skilled with your hands? Your talent could be used to fix things around the church or for someone in need. Remember, it is not about the magnitude of the gift, but the intention behind its use.

The challenge we have is to overcome the fear that the servant in the parable had. We are all prone to this fear. We might feel our talents are not good enough, or that someone else is more qualified and better than us. But God doesn’t ask for perfection, just for our willingness to use what we’ve been given. Every contribution, no matter how small it may seem, matters. By using our talents, we are not only enriching the lives of others but also living out our purpose and growing closer to God.

So today, I want you to start by asking yourself: What am I good at, and how can I use it to serve Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and my fellow parishioners? Maybe you can volunteer to sing in the choir, read at Mass, or serve as an altar server or at the front desk. Perhaps you can use your professional skills to offer advice to someone in need. Or maybe your talent is simply the gift of hospitality, and you can offer to host a new family in the parish for coffee or become an usher.

This week, let's reflect on the unique talents God has given us and resolve to use them more intentionally. Let us be like the faithful servants who multiplied their talents, not for personal gain, but for the glory of God and the benefit of His people. Shall we?

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