For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two,  and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and his his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and bought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent on the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

- Matthew 25:14-30

In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave a parable about His Second Coming:  "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight a cry was heard:  'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'  But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two,  and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and his his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and bought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent on the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"  My study bible tells us that this parable illustrates the use of gifts which are given by God.  We are all endowed with some capacities and gifts of various measure and type.   A talent, in the ancient world, was a great sum of money; it was a weight measure of gold or silver.  One talent of gold, by one modern measurement, would be equivalent to about $1.25 million.  One talent of silver, in modern equivalence, is estimated as being worth $7.5 billion in today's U.S. currency.  But here in the parable, it represents the goodness which God has bestowed on each person.  The amount each receives is based on that person's abilities (Romans 12:4-7).  God does not show partiality in the ultimate reward, because all are invited to share in the same joy.  By the same token, the wicked and lazy servant could therefore not evade responsibility for ignoring his talent.  Idleness in this deep sense of neglect is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness, as my study bible puts it.    Burying the talent in the ground is an illustration of using one's God-given gifts for earthly pursuits.  The bankers are other faithful people to whom the man could have turned to help him to use his talents wisely, those who expertise is in the "investment" that God has made in us.  Since help was available to him in the Church, the man hasn't an excuse.

How do we use our talents?  In the parable, it seems like the Master has invested His own gifts in His servants.  He trusts them to be profitable with the investment, to use His investments in them with prudence and wisdom, delivering a return and multiplying the gift.  And this is where we are.  Our lives are not at all static.  They are meant to have direction, one way and another.  They are meant for some sort of action, a choice.  We don't live in the world to merely exist.  We are here and equipped with talents, investments in ourselves by our Creator.  We're given wisdom, commandments, direction.  We are meant to take action.   We don't sit in one place.  We will always be confronted with choices that ask us which direction we choose to go.  How does God call you?  So much depends on what it is we think about, what we dwell upon, how we nurture ourselves upon His word, and most especially in prayer -- that is, in communication with the Master while He is away and before He returns.  Let this guidance be the principle by which we live; it will reap a harvest of returns in the sense in which the Master desires them.