The gifts that God gives to His children are not simply a boon, but also an obligation, as demonstrated in the Gospel message regarding the Parable of the Talents.

Pastor Philip Juza of St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church in Spooner, Wisconsin recently addressed parishioners regarding the Parable of the Talents and the importance of wisely investing God’s gifts.

“God gives us the gift of His very self and asks us to invest it,” Juza quoted from the parable. “Investing God’s greatest gift of Himself wisely, allows God’s kingdom to grow and flourish.”

The gifts that Christians are entrusted with, God entrusts with the expectation they will yield great fruit, which represents a significant level of trust in the faithful by God, according to the piece.

“God has put tremendous confidence in us. Do we have that same confidence in God?” Juza quoted from the piece.

While people are likely to go the “extra mile” for family, friends, careers and other things that provide them a sense of security, they may not think to give that same measure of effort to sharing and using God’s gifts, the piece states.

“Tending to God’s treasure requires a great deal of focus and persistent hard work. It demands that I see the bigger picture, God’s picture, in which self-sacrifice is a given as we labor for the establishment of God’s kingdom, God’s vision,” Juza quoted from the piece. “Fear and a lack of trust can loom large, however. We are afraid of letting go of what is “mine” and apprehensive of jeopardizing what we have in order to venture into something bigger and more promising.”

Yet, that fear is out of place in the kingdom and service of God, the piece states.

“They benefit neither the person nor God,” Juza quoted from the piece. “What is required is a courageous resolve that produces the fortitude necessary to stay the course and do what God is asking.”