Wednesday 33rd week in ordinary time
"Lk 19:11-28"
Jesus said to his disciples, "A nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingly power and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them, 'Trade with these till I come.'"
The master gave each of his servants something to trade with until he came back. He gave them the money and instructions, but made no mention of the time of his return. He didn't give any indication about how much time they had to trade and make their talents bear fruit, because the time is 'NOW'.
Some people waste their time planning to do things in the future and never manage to do them. Some want to become souls of prayer, or to be holy, or to do the Will of God, or to change the world... And they plan it; they think about it; they consult people and devise a course of action... But they never do it: 'I will give this to God', 'I will do this for God', 'I will go to Confession'... As St Augustine reminds us: "God has promised you 'forgiveness', but He has not promised you 'tomorrow'". Saints were saints because they never left anything for tomorrow; because they didn't know if they would have 'tomorrow'. They didn't plan to be holy. They 'tried' to be holy. They didn't plan to be friends with Jesus: they 'tried' to become His friends. They knew that talents don't last forever.
A man was given a very expensive bottle of vintage wine and he decided to store it in the cellar, waiting for a very special occasion. But no occasion was ever 'special enough' for him. His daughter's wedding came but he thought: 'Not special enough. There are many weddings'. His 50th wedding anniversary came but he thought: 'Next year it will be 51, which is even better than 50'. Time passed and he never found a special occasion. Eventually he died and after his funeral his children decided to open the bottle, but the wine had gone off already and had to be thrown away. Too much waiting! What a waste!
Let's not make God wait to start to become holy: this is the moment, today is the day, the time to be holy is now! Hodie, nunc! is the Latin for "today, now!" Mary, Virgin Most Faithful, don't allow me to procrastinate.