Saturday of the 21st Week of the Year: Some notions of humility would find this virtue exemplified in the third servant with the one talent who humbly admitted his failure to trade with that single talent. In contrast, the servant who received five talents and made five more seems proud and even boastful. And yet it is this servant whom Jesus commends. Hiding one’s talent does seem like a safer path and one that avoids the potential pitfall of pride. Conversely, using one’s talents and excelling exposes us to the danger of pride and vainglory. However, the act of actually receiving the talents from the master highlights the antidote to pride—captured in Paul’s question, what do you possess that you have not received. But if you have received it, why are you boasting as if you did not receive it? In addition, doing nothing with the talents God gives us may shield us from pride but it doesn’t school us in humility either. True humility enables us to take the risk of using our talents to the best of our ability while giving the glory to God—something Our Lady did so spontaneously and authentically. May she obtain this grace for us too!
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