In the parish, when the pandemic hit us hard in 2020, so many people lost their jobs, so many people were displaced, and many people experienced fear, anxiety, worry, and depression due to the changes that we happening. The top priority then was helping out people with gift checks, thanks to Caritas Manila, and food. In 2022, however, while Covid is still very much around, the focus of the Parish is not anymore giving a fish but “teaching how the person to fish.”

The reality is that all of us here on earth have a Mission from God. With this Mission comes the time, talent, and treasure that God has given us. From the Parable of the Talents, three things we should remember:

1. People have different Missions. Hence, people are blessed differently. This is a reminder that we should never compare our life to others. This would be the start of loneliness, ingratitude, and envy. Why count other people’s blessings when we all have our own.
   
2. God wants us to have more. The Gospel reminds us that to he who has more, more will be given. The one with five gold, five more were given.  In other words, being rich is not the problem, it is greed. Hence as the saying goes, “When God blesses you more, raise your standard of giving and not your standard of living.” 
   
3. Let us not glorify laziness. The individual who had one talent even lost it all because he did not do anything with it. Just look around our neighborhood, how many people go through day by day, not doing anything, depending on the government and relatives, and finding every excuse not to do anything. Remember, “God helps those who help themselves.”

In each Mass, regardless of whether we have five, two, or one talent, let us make use of it to bring God the greater glory.