Bold Investments

“I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.”
— Matthew 25:25

It wasn’t laziness that kept the third servant from acting—it was fear. Fear froze him. Fear whispered that the master couldn’t be trusted, that failure would be punished, that it was safer to bury what was given rather than risk losing it.

This parable always makes me stop and ask: What are my talents? How am I using them—or hiding them? A talent here isn’t just money, it’s every God-given gift, every skill, every spark of opportunity placed in my hands.

Jesus tells this story to give me a glimpse of the Kingdom of Heaven. And what does it look like? It looks like people trusting God enough to take risks with the gifts He’s given them. It looks like bold investing in love, service, creativity, and faith. But it also reveals the opposite: when fear wins, gifts get buried.

I know this tension personally. I’ve been the bold servant who steps out, invests, and risks for God. But I’ve also been the fearful one, digging holes to hide what I was too anxious to use.

So the real question is: How do I become a more confident investor of God’s gifts?

By remembering who the Master truly is. He’s not harsh or stingy—He’s extravagantly generous. He trusts me enough to place His treasures in my hands. And what matters most to Him is not flawless success, but faithful effort. Every step of trust, no matter how small, is an investment in His Kingdom.

Jesus, thank you for the gifts you give me. Help me be a bold investor and not a fearful burier.  

 

Be a Waiter

You are now waiting for Jesus, his Son, whom he raised from the dead, to come from heaven to save us from the retribution which is coming.
1Thes.1:10

Saint Paul points out that the Christian life is not just one of doing. It is also one of waiting.

Waiting develops a lot of good fruit, like patience, hope and trust. These in turn give me peace the world cannot give and that sort of peace fosters joy. 

Jesus, you have promised to return. Help me be a waiter, not just a doer. Give me patience to wait expectantly with hope, peace and joy. 

A Little More Perfect

Jesus said to him, ‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ 
Mt.19:21

The rich young man has everything. He is rich and young, things the world values. But he senses there is more that he lacks. There is, and to gain it he must give everything away.

As usual this story throws a light on me.  What is the "wealth" that I find hard to give away? Wealth is not just money. Tolstoy gave everything away to the poor but it ruined his relationship with his family. Was that what was really required of him? 

There's no easy answer to this. Weasel words come up when I try to justify my position of holding on to my "wealth". I guess it's the old question of, "Where is my heart?" If it's not in heavenly things then it's probably a hindrance to me becoming perfect as Jesus understands the word. 

Maybe if I just focus one day at a time on following Jesus. Then each step makes me a little more perfect than I was yesterday.

Jesus, help me today to be a little more perfect as I follow you. 

Upside Down

Jesus said, ‘Let the little children alone, and do not stop them coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’
Mt.19:14

Once again Jesus turns the world upside down. The small, the weak, the vulnerable are the inheritors of the Kingdom.

I have seventeen grandchildren. I love them dearly but... When they arrive, whatever I'm doing gets paused or simply stops. Children's time domain is very simple. Now! The concepts of "Wait a minute" or "When I've finished" don't compute. In a sense they become a mini autocracy. 

They force my world to go upside down. It's no longer about me... my time, my goals, my rights. This is not my natural world and I fight it. 

Yet, as was the case yesterday, there is two year old Lucy holding a book saying "Story! Story!" while I'm trying to engage with unexpected visiting family. I finally sat her on my knee and read in parts while talking with our guests. Lucy knew she wasn't getting the full deal but she was gracious, as were our visitors.

Upside down is where Jesus wants me to be. Perhaps my grandchildren are part of his design to get me into that unnatural pose. 

Jesus, thank you for the lessons I am sent via my grandchildren. Help me become malleable so that upside down becomes my new right side up. 

The Power of More than One

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
Mt.18:20

Jesus promises a unique presence among gathered believers. Nothing less than himself.

This is the "Power of More than One". We're not meant to be Lone Ranger Christians. Jesus calls believers to gather to powerfully experience his presence. Does this mean he isn't present when I pray alone, like now? Of course not. It's simply a promise that he will be with us in a uniquely influential way when we are Church. The Eucharist couldn't happen for me by myself. 

This promise of Jesus' to be especially present in a gathering has motivated our family prayer time for decades. We open our time of family prayer usually by thanking Jesus for his promise and welcoming him into our home. Children get it. 

Thank you Lord for being among us in Church, large and small. Thank you for the Power of More than One.

When I am Weak I am Strong

The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him
Mt.18:1,2

The disciples ask who is the greatest. Jesus replies by presenting who is the least.

If I'm honest, I must admit to a constant desire to be the greatest, the handsomest, the cleverest, the most powerful. Jesus tells me this is not only rubbish and reconstituted dust but the source of all my dissatisfaction, anxiety and grief. It's the source of stress in my life.

The greatest blessing I've found with humility, on the occasions I achieve it, is peace. It's the green pasture and still waters where he leads me.

Jesus, without you I am lost. Be my shepherd. Carry me home on your shoulders like a little lamb.

My Cheerleader

I am no longer trying for perfection by my own efforts, the perfection that comes from the Law, but I want only the perfection that comes through faith in Christ, and is from God and based on faith.
Ph.3:9

Perfection comes by faith in Jesus. Perfection by the Law is doomed for failure.

This is a great relief for me. Faith in Jesus includes faith in his mercy, his grace, his love... all wonderful gifts to help me. I am no longer striving by my own efforts. Jesus is striving with me, cheering me on. 

Thank you Jesus for being my cheerleader. My faith is grounded in you. You are my hope and joy.

One Priority

Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not worry...
Mt.6:32-34

Jesus is just warming up in his Sermon on the Mount by addressing a core malady in all of us.Worry.

Worries, fears, anxieties... these all rob me of my peace. This gives a hint as to where they all come from. Jesus gives the antidote to the devil's ploys. Seek first the kingdom of God. Make this my daily priority and everything else falls into line. The result? Peace.

The word "priority" is recorded as first in use during the thirteenth century. Then in the 1940s something strange happened. "Priority" began to be replaced by "priorities". Like, "What are your priorities in life?" The thing is, this creates an oxymoron. Having multiple "priorities" means none of them can be a priority. Priority is the single most important thing. 

Why's this important? Because when I have priorities in my day I become stressed, I lose my peace. One thing alone is my priority today. Seek first his kingdom. Then all is well.

Saint Mary of the Cross, please pray for us.

Jesus is God

‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said, ‘the Son of the living God.’
Mt.16:15,16

Jesus asks the pivotal question to his disciples.... and to me. Who do I say he is?

What must a person believe to be called Christian? Many theological answers come to mind but the essential faith proclamation is simple and direct. Jesus is God.

I recently saw the words "Jesus is God" written in large letters on the T-shirt of a man who, with his wife, evangelises in the Middle East. The same phrase was also written underneath in Arabic. The phrase is jolting in its boldness, even to me let alone a Muslim. 

The modern world will say Jesus was a good man, a prophet even, but God? Yes, Jesus is God. My best friend is the creator of the Universe! Mind blowing but true. 

Jesus, I say you are God. I place my trust in you.

The Beggar's Friend

A court was held and the books were opened.
Dn.7:10

Daniel's vision of end times presents a courtroom. Jesus steps into the room and "the books" are opened.

My book is going to be opened. All, yes all, will be revealed. This is where I cling to the promise of Jesus to Nicodemus. "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." Jn.3:17 I'm counting on Jesus being my merciful advocate, like Moses was for Miriam. 

As Saint Paul states, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!" Rms.6:1,2. I have died to sin, so how can I live in it any longer? Yes, mercy and grace are mine in Jesus, but so is a new life. I would be the greatest of fools to turn my back on becoming a new man, born again.

So, let the books be opened, let my beggared life be exposed and let my reliance on the beggar's friend be my hope. Meanwhile, I live as a new man born again full of the hope, peace and joy that only Jesus the beggar's friend can give.

Jesus, I place my trust in you.

Preach Cast and Cure

He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.
Mt.10:1

Jesus' pity and compassion for the people prompts him into action. He sends out the twelve, the labourers in the harvest, to do what he was doing at the start; preaching, casting out demons and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness. 

The commission hasn't changed or stopped. If I want to be a labourer in the harvest, and what professing Christian wouldn't, I should be preaching, casting and curing in my sphere of influence. Jesus didn't die for a powerless Church. 

Come Holy Spirit. Fill me with power to preach, cast and cure that Jesus is glorified.

Go Tell Jesus

And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.
Mt.14:12

John's disciples would have been overwhelmed with grief at their rabbi's brutal murder. Their first response is to give John's body the dignity of a burial. Their second response is to go tell Jesus.

When calamity strikes my first response is that of an autotron... I robotically clean up the mess. When I can lift my head above the panic, the grief, the shock... I go tell Jesus. 

The response of John's disciples to his beheading always takes me back to the nightmare of the suicide of a son of close friends. I was his confirmation sponsor and, as is the way with suicide, I felt guilty. We and other friends went to the parents' home. All we could first do was weep with them. 

Then someone suggested we pray. We went and told Jesus. The boy wasn't brought back to life. He remained tragically dead, but... a corner had been turned. We were now facing the right direction, away from despair and towards hope, a hope that does not disappoint. 

Thank you Jesus for being especially close when I grieve. I place my trust in you.

Faith Fuels Miracles

‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Mt.13:57,58

Perception determines expectation. You receive what you perceive. Jesus' townsfolk perceived the carpenter's son. They expected only woodwork. 

Jesus gives the key to miracles here. Expectant faith fuels miracles. If I perceive the Eucharist as merely a symbol of bread and wine, that's all I receive. When I perceive it as his body and blood, I receive the miracle of his full divinity. As Flannery O'Connor famously said, "If it's just a symbol, to hell with it!"

When I perceive Jesus as the living, loving God who walks beside me today, well... today anything could happen!

Holy Spirit, fan into flame the gift of faith I have received. Let miracles work through me to the glory of Jesus.