Time, Talent, and Treasure Series: Part 2
In the Parable of the Talents (Mt 25:14-30 and Lk 19:11–27), the departing master entrusts his servants with different amounts of talents, each according to their ability. When he returns, he calls each servant to account for what they have done with those talents. The first two have doubled what they were entrusted with and earn praise. The third hid his talent away for fear of failing the master; he is stripped of everything and cast “into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” (Mt. 25:30)
A biblical talent was a measure of weight, or a unit of currency that equated to around 20 years worth of work.
Our modern usage of the word talent, meaning “a special or natural gift aptitude” derives from the Parable, and our talents are meant to be shared and used for God’s glory, not self-serving purposes. Whether you are a carpenter, an administrator, a cook, or a prayer warrior, your talent is a divine endowment intended to bear fruit for the Kingdom. If we look at a talent as a skill that equates to 20 years worth of practice and perfecting, it’s all the more important that we re-invest that hard work worthily, remembering that “to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (Mt. 25:29).
When I give my account before God, I know I want to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy” (Mt. 25:21).
At St. Therese Institute of Faith and Mission (STIFM), our mission of forming young people to be “love at the heart of the Church for the conversion of the world” requires a myriad of skills, and many are offered behind-the-scenes.
One might assume that only “spiritual” or “formational” talents would be needed at this apostolate. Yet, every foundation requires structure, every community requires maintenance, and every mission requires organization.
Frank and Cathy McGeragle, whose involvement with STIFM spanned six and a half years, found that decades of experience provided them the very talents God needed to bless STIFM:
Frank: “I came on a 9-day retreat in 2010 at St Therese and was struck by the young adult formation program and also, as a carpenter, that everywhere I looked called out, ‘Please fix me!’”
Cathy: “We were praying to know where God might be calling us a year [after that retreat]. Frank and I were at a point in our lives where we felt called to offer our skills somewhere different, having raised our five kids, [now adults], on Vancouver Island. I checked the website of STIFM and noticed…that a voluntary handyman was being sought! We looked at each other and felt that was likely God’s answer!” They decided to come live at the St. Therese Institute.
Frank’s offering of his gifts is a reminder that a well-maintained door or a freshly painted room is not separate from the spiritual mission; we need the skilled hands of The Master to renovate, upgrade and repair our brokenness…and we need a working, functional, physical place where the spiritual work can happen!
As for Cathy, God took the gifts she offered and multiplied them. Through her willingness to share her years of teaching and remedial experience with the STIFM community, the opportunity came up to hone those talents further and become certified as a Spiritual Director through courses being offered in nearby Saskatoon.
Cathy noted, “Sometimes I was told that Frank and I living at St Therese was like having grandparents in the house. That warmed my heart. I would encourage those considering volunteering at St Therese to give what they can and be assured you will receive more than you give!”
Whether managing a building or an administrative system, the choice to offer our talent also shapes our future vocation. It is in the faithful execution of the task at hand that God prepares us for the next loving step in His plan. The “Little Way” of St. Thérèse of Lisieux teaches us that perfection consists not in doing grand things, but in doing small things with great love. This perspective elevates the hidden, often thankless tasks to the status of prayer.
A member of last year’s Internship program, Jeremiah Evans, who continues to assist with housekeeping and emergency maintenance work around St. Therese this year, shared an encounter with grace in a very ordinary moment:
“A moment where I experienced the Lord would have been when I was making beds and cleaning rooms in the west wing of St. Therese and I was in silence. I noticed my heart had a deeper compassion and love for people, a love for the people about to use these rooms. I thought to myself in that moment, ‘The Lord is revealing this to me, to show me that this work is not pointless even if no one else sees what I do.’”
Julie Berube served in 2024-2025 on our Apostolic Internship team. She had an interest in cooking but had never worked in a commercial kitchen. Throughout the year, she applied her talent and strengthened her skills, always cheerfully and enthusiastically with great love, under the direction of our head cook, Shelley Ebner.
A couple weeks ago, Shelley came to my office, practically bouncing in the doorway to share the news. Because of the skills Julie developed at STIFM, she had just accepted a job in the kitchen of a retirement home. Shelley told me proudly how Julie’s little “yes” to exploring something new had transformed into something vocational. “They called me to check up on Jule’s references, and within half an hour they had offered her the job!” she beamed.
Lending your talent to Christ’s mission is the Holy Exchange: you give the gift, and God gives you more in return.
So, what gifts has God given you? A knack for organization? A joyful way with people? The ability to balance a budget or tend a garden or fix things or cook or run a business? Whatever your talent, consider offering it in service to the formation of future disciples at STIFM, to your parish, or to a local cause. The reward is far greater than the sacrifice.
St. Therese Institute board chair Christine Aalbers extends an invitation: “Everyone is gifted and I would encourage you to look at what you love to do and see if there is a way that you can be part of the heart of this organization. Helping out at St. Therese is so life-giving and fulfilling. I would highly recommend sharing whatever gifts God has blessed you with.”
James Riley has been on the St.Therese Institute mission staff since our first program year in AD2007. He currently serves as STIFM Deputy of Operations.