I believe it is of great importance that God greatly values us. The value that we have comes from our very conception. As God’s children made in His image and likeness, in our humanity, in our limited, and finite nature God entrusts us with great responsibility because He values us.
This value doesn’t come from anything that we can do. It isn’t our doing nor our own self abilities, rather God entrusts greatness to us and values us because of what he sees in us and can do through us. This value and trust is for all of us to seek, discover and develop as God’s talent and gift placed over our lives. What God entrusts to us out of the great value he has for us is meant ultimately for God’s glory shining through those whose lives we encounter.
Pope Francis reminds us in his latest pastoral letter “Fratello Tutti” ‘Brothers and Sisters all’. He reminds us. “It is a call to love others as brothers and sisters, even when they are far from us; it is a call to open fraternity (FT 1), to recognizing and loving every person with a love without borders; it is a call to encounter others in a way that is capable of overcoming all distance and every temptation to engage in disputes, impositions, or submissions (FT 3).
The Lord entrusts talents to us for the good of others. What a great gift we are entrusted with. He adopts us as sons and daughters! 1st John 3:1 says “Behold what manner of love is this that we might be called the Sons of God”! If we were the son of an earthly king we would be called a prince and an heir to the throne and all of its riches! We would be entitled to all the protection, and the provision of that kingdom. In God we are according to Revelation 1:6 Kings and priests to the kingdom of God by Jesus’ Christ! But as the Sons and Daughters of the Creator of the Universe we are not only valuable we are very valuable!”
You see in recognizing the great value God has for us it is an opportunity to share the richness of the great value so that all might see and recognize their great value as well. The great provisions of the kingdom of God are meant for all. The greatest riches come in and through our recognizing the value and great wealth of all persons, to step out into the peripheries and encounter the most suffering, the most alienated. When we share God’s love and they come to see their great value, that they too become heirs to the kingdom of God, sharers in the divine riches of God’s glory.
The Holy Father calls us to hope. All men and women experience a thirst, an aspiration, a longing for a life of fulfilment, a desire to achieve great things, things that fill our heart and lift our spirit to lofty realities like truth, goodness and beauty, justice, and love. Hope can look beyond personal convenience, security, and the trade-offs that limit our horizons, and open us up to grand ideals (FT 55).
In these words the Holy Father shares the true wealth and richness of God’s kingdom, poured fourth for all of humanity to share, is found in what is given to us. No matter what we are handed. “The darkness of our times cannot block out the love of God shining through.Despite these dark clouds, we need to be aware of the many new paths of hope, for God continues to sow abundant seeds of goodness in our human family (FT 54).”
The parable of the talents is about how much God values us and entrusts us with gifts or talents given to us in accordance with our ability. God knows what we can do, we have to be willing to not allow fear the hold us down, rather knowing the gift and giver of the gift we must do something. No matter how little, as long as we are willing to step out and trust God can produce for his glory even from our little bit.