In the Christian community in which the Gospel was created, as among modern followers of Christ, the same question arose: "What should we do?" All of us, in one way or another, have found ourselves in the position of servants of a traveling Master: we must decide what to do in His absence. And here this parable, told by Jesus to His disciples in Jerusalem, stands before us.

Already now He is preparing them for the time when they will live in expectation of the final meeting with Him. And the answer to the eternal question is given in a form that is not entirely familiar: "Do not be afraid! Act! Think! Risk!" Of all human activities, commerce best describes the behavior of faithful disciples. Only instead of money, the disciples received from Christ something else: the presence of the Spirit, the gifts of hope and love. Now it is up to them, that is, to us, to put them to work and multiply them, so that this world may become richer and richer in love.

How vivid these "money" parables from the Gospel are. They clarify so much for us, accustomed as we are to spiritual and material consumerism and passivity. We like to speak about "disinterested faith," about "purely spiritual relationships," meaning irresponsibility and superficiality by this. But real life with God truly resembles financial operations. In this parable the master does not simply support his slaves, and he does not simply entrust them with some work that they must do for him. He invites them to "enter the business"; he gives them starting capital so that they can put it into circulation and make a profit.

This opens to us an astonishing message: we are called by God to cooperation. Not simply to obedience, not simply to the work of a courier or secretary, but to become His agents, His hands, His trusted representatives. Will we be able not to be frightened by the responsibility, and to agree to such a high office?

Some Christians torment themselves trying to understand what talent they have, afraid of accidentally burying it in the ground. Others resent God for gifts that are too small. But if we look carefully at the lives of the saints, it turns out that often in earthly life they suffered most precisely because of what was central in their holiness.

A saint is someone who succeeds better than others at imitating God, someone who is more like Him. It is clear that God gives talents to the saints, but among the saints there are not so many genius artists and musicians. So perhaps by talent we mean the wrong thing?

Instead, the saints imitate Christ in His sufferings; they help Him carry the Cross. Is this not the explanation? Often we do not understand what Cross we are supposed to take upon ourselves. Perhaps the Cross and the talent are one and the same. Then it is clear that the talent is what we have to suffer through most of all. And it is clear that the greater the talent, the greater the responsibility and the greater the suffering, and therefore the greater the reward.