Last Sunday, we heard the parable of the talents from the Gospel of Matthew. Today we hear a similar message in a parable from the Gospel of Luke. Each of the 10 servants receives a gold coin – the equivalent of about 3 months of wages according to Scripture Scholars, so it certainly was not an insignificant amount of money. Those who invest their coin and use what the king gives to them are rewarded, but the servant who keeps the coin hidden is punished. The end of the parable says that Jesus continued on his journey to Jerusalem. We as modern-day disciples of Christ know that Jerusalem is the city where Jesus met his death on the cross, but it is the place of resurrection and salvation as well.
I find it very interesting that our parable today is about a king. This Sunday we will celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King at the end of our Liturgical Year. Then, the next Sunday after that, we will get ready for the start of the Advent season as we prepare for the coming Christmas season. It is interesting, in the past few weeks here at St Jude, even though we are in the midst of the pandemic, I have had funerals, a wedding, baptisms, and today I was called to visit a lady in hospice who is nearing the end of her days. Some of these parishioners I know very well, while others I do not know very well at all. All of these sacraments mark meaningful moments in lives. But we are all children of God and part of the community of faith. We live out of faith in different ways. We strive toward perfection, but due to our human failings, we never reach that perfection, so we ask pardon and forgiveness of God and of our brothers and sisters.
Sometimes life can be very joyful. Other times it can be very sad. But we do our best. And we continue on our journey. This is what connects us with today’s Gospel of the gold coins: How are we using the gifts God gives use – today and everyday? Because we just don’t know when our journey on earth will come to an end.
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