From the responsorial psalm: "Praise the LORD in his sanctuary, praise him in the firmament of his strength. Praise him for his mighty deeds, praise him for his sovereign majesty. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!"

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 19:11-28)

“A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’ His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’"

In response to the people's belief that the kingdom of God would appear in Jerusalem on Jesus' approach to it, Jesus tells a parable about a nobleman who travels to a distant country to become king and then return. He gives ten servants each a gold coin to invest while he is away. Upon his return, the nobleman rewards the servants who made a profit with positions of authority, while the servant who hid his coin is punished. Not a parable about making wise financial decisions and how to achieve power, the parable Jesus tells expresses the gifts God gives us and how we respond to these spiritual realities. Just as the servants make the best of the gold coins they are given, so too Jesus invites us to make the best of our unique gifts in the present moment—returning to God what he gave us first.

God, help me today be faithful and diligent in serving you with the gifts and talents you have given me. Many priorities cry out for attention when only one thing is necessary. As the elders in heaven say, “Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things; because of your will they came to be and were created.” Give me the grace to call to mind that your kingdom is yet to come but is already here. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done. Amid the practical realities of the day, help me remember that the day itself a gift of your supreme love, and more will be given. As I strive to do your will, I hope to hear at the end of every day, "Well done, good servant!" Teach me, Lord, to serve you well.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.