Pope Francis: the treasures of the Gospel are not to be kept to oneself

November 17, 2014

Reflecting on the parable of the talents (Mt. 25:14-30), which he urged those assembled in St. Peter’s Square to read, Pope Francis said in his November 16 Angelus address that the treasures of the Gospel are not meant to be kept to oneself.

“The man of the parable represents Jesus, we are the servants and the talents are the wealth the Lord entrusts to us,” the Pope said. “What is this wealth? His Word, the Eucharist, faith in the Heavenly Father, His forgiveness, so many things. In short, his most precious goods. This is the wealth that he entrusts to us. Not just to guard it, but to make it grow.”

“Any environment, even the most distant and impractical, can become a place where talents can bear fruit,” he continued. “There are no situations or places that are closed to the Christian presence and witness. The witness that Jesus asks us is not closed, it is open, it depends on us.”

After receiving forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Pope added, Christians should make the effort to reconcile with others. “Let us not close [forgiveness] in ourselves, but rather let it unleash its power, that breaks down those walls that our selfishness has built up, that it makes us take the first steps in relationships that are stuck, to resume dialogue where there is no more communication.”

 

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Further information:

• Le parole del Papa alla recita dell’Angelus (Holy See Press Office)
• Angelus: Don't keep grace locked up in a safe (Vatican Radio)
• Pope's Angelus Address: Do Not Preserve God's Grace in a Safe! (Zenit)