Thanksgiving

Yesterday we celebrated the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the temple.  Part of yesterday's celebration was the reading from the gospel of Luke 19:11-28.

It is a fascinating reading and very appropriate to the day of thanks.

In the gospel, JEsus tells a parable about a man who goes off to claim the kingship for himself and then return to rule.

As his parting gesture, he calls ten of his servant and gave them ten gold coins and told them to "engage in trade with these until "he) returns."


Upon his return, he calls his servants to "learn what they had gained by trading." What is unusual about this parable is only three servants return to give an account of their business, how they fared.

30 percent of the servants thought it important enough to seek out the master.
What of the other seven?  They are never mentioned.  They get their gold coin and they high tail it out of there.

 Perhaps they assumed the master would never return?
Perhaps they lost it and were ashamed and so they hid?
Perhaps they were just selfish and used it completely for themselves for their own advancement?

Either way 3 out of the ten return.

How often are we like the 7 who disappear off the radar.  How often do we receive and use it for ourselves, our own advancement, our own desires and forget who gave it in the first place?

Yet, we focus our attention to the first servant who returned to give an accounting.  He did well.  HE took the one and made ten.  The masters words are striking, "Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter..."

Being faithful in small matters.  That little line could sum up the purpose of our lives.  That simple word of praise from the lips of Christ through the parable should be the gem we have been looking for to get the ball rolling again in our lives.

What small matters have we neglected?
What small matters have we pushed aside as of no consequence?


What i said, giving thanks might just be the smallest matter that matters most of all.  We get it right there we get it right every where.

Just a few thoughts as journey through the day of thanks and enter into the evening hour, ready to begin the day after the day of thanks, knowing tomorrow should be more of the same as today.