Don't Die With Your Dreams Inside You

Mass Readings & Reflection for
Saturday of the Twenty-first week in Ordinary Time - 31 August 2013
(Comments below)

1 Thess. 4:9-12.

Brothers and sisters: on the subject of fraternal charity you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. Indeed, you do this for all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Nevertheless we urge you, brothers, to progress even more,
and to aspire to live a tranquil life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your (own) hands, as we instructed you, that you may conduct yourselves properly toward outsiders and not depend on anyone.

Ps 98(97):1.7-8.9.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.

Let the sea and what fills it resound,
The world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
The mountains shout with them for joy.

Before the LORD, for he comes,
For he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
And the peoples with equity.

Gospel of St Matthew 25:14-30.

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one– to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money.
After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.'
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter;
so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.'
His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter?
Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'”


Commentary of the day :

I have just finished (like, 4am this morning) the first draft of my next book “Being Good Enough”. It’s a more than thirty year project. As my brother Anthony can attest, I first told him I was writing this book when I was in high school. My motto is “Never die with your dreams inside you” so I was always intent to finish writing my book and publish it. I found God inspiring me all the way to recall innocent incidents from my past that have profoundly influenced the person I am.

When I told Josefina, my beloved wife about my book she complained, “Who would want to read your stupid story?” I think it frustrated her that I spent so many days, nights and years typing on the laptop instead of talking with her or going out and doing something more productive. I guess that’s what all author’s partners say. I also think I would be poorer for not completing this tower I started to build. Anyway, it’s a long way from hitting the shelves of a bookshop or being published online but I have some wonderful people (famous people) who have written a Preface and a Forward to the book so in my mind that is already a great accomplishment!

A little closer to publication I will give you some idea what its about. I don’t want to telegraph too much in case some really fast writer comes up with a better story ending than I have proposed..

I hope very soon you will read it. I can assure you it’s a fascinating story. It’s the story of my life which ends in fantasy.

“Boring!” I hear you yawning. It’s not my real life story, it’s a dream fulfilled. Leave it for you to decide whether its good enough for you to buy it but I didn’t write it for riches or fame, just because God has given me a talent that I know He wants me to share, to multiply, not bury in the ground. Many people have talents they never use. I hear people’s stories every day and so often told people, “You ought to write a book of your life”. They reply sadly, “Oh, who would want to read my story?”

I don’t write my story or suggest anyone write their story because of the millions who will read it, but just for the family and close friends who might benefit from knowing your real story.

I suggest that these people die poorer for dying with their dream (and their story) still inside them..

Jesus has given us all a talent. Try to discover what’s yours and USE IT!

Here is a classic of Western Spirituality that you may find some pearls of wisdom and insight from:

Julian of Norwich (1342-after 1416), recluse Revelations of divine love, ch. 14

"Come, share your master's joy"

After this our Lord said: “I thank you for your service and your labor in your youth.” And in this my understanding was lifted up into heaven, where I saw our Lord God as a lord in his own house, who has called all his friends to a splendid feast. Then I did not see him seated anywhere in his own house; but I saw him reign in his house as a king and fill it all full of joy and mirth, gladdening and consoling his dear friends with himself, very familiarly and courteously, with wonderful melody in endless love in his own fair blissful countenance, which glorious countenance fills all heaven full of the joy and bliss of the divinity.

God showed three degrees of bliss that every soul will have in heaven who has voluntarily served God in any degree upon earth. The first is the honor and thanks from our Lord God which he will receive when he is delivered from pain. The thanks is so exalted and so honorable that it may seem to him that this suffices him, if there were no
more. For it seemed to me that all the pain and labor which all living men might endure could not earn the honorable thanks that one man will have who has voluntarily served God .

As to the second degree, it is that all the blessed in heaven will see the honor of the thanks. God makes the soul's service known to all who are in heaven... If a king thank his subjects, it is a great honour for them; and if he make this known to all the kingdom, then their honour is much increased. And for the third degree: It is that the first joy with which the soul is then received will last forevermore. And I saw that this was familiarly and sweetly revealed, that every man's age will be known in heaven, and he will be rewarded for his voluntary service and for the time that he has served, and especially the age of those who voluntarily and freely offer their youth to God is fittingly rewarded and wonderfully thanked.

Blessings to you for reading the commentaries…

Kevin Lee

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