Friends, welcome to Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. Word on Fire is an

apostolate dedicated to the mission of evangelization using media both old and

new to share the faith on every continent and to facilitate an encounter with

Christ and His Church. The efforts of Word on Fire engage the culture and bring

the transformative power of God's Word where it is most needed. Today we invite

you to join Bishop Robert Barron as he preaches the gospel and shares the

warmth and light of Christ with each one of us. Peace be with you. Friends,

today's gospel gives us the wonderful and challenging parable of the talents.

We know the contours of the story well. A man goes on a journey but before leaving

he entrusts his money to three of his servants. To one he gives five talents to

a second two and to a third one each one according to his ability. Now at first

point to note here a talent was a good deal of money in the ancient world. So

even the servant has received only one talent has got a fair amount of money.

This is not a trivial sum we're dealing with. Then story goes on that man went

away. The first servant traded with the five talents risking them on the open

market. Don't we know today by the way what a danger that is. The second does

the same and both receive a rich return on their investment doubling their

money. Third man cautious he buries his talent. Sure to return it to his master

upon his return. When the owner returns he praises the first two servants and

gives them greater responsibility. The third man he upgrades you wicked lazy

servant. Okay we know that story well. Jesus loved to use examples drawn from

rural life. Lot of examples of those but he was also partial to images taken

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