Daily Catholic Lectio
Wed, 20 November 2024
XXXIII Week in Ordinary Time, Wednesday
Revelation 4:1-11. Psalm 150:1-2, 3-4, 5-6. Luke 19:11-28
Bearing fruit
Our purpose in life is not merely to seek happiness but to bear fruit, to live meaningfully, and to fulfil our God-given mission. From the very beginning, God commands humanity to “be fruitful and multiply” (Gen 1:28). He entrusts us with stewardship, placing us in His creation to care for it and nurture its growth. God’s call is not just to rejoice but to take responsibility and live purposefully as His stewards.
Even a wildflower blooms to its fullest, fulfilling the purpose for which it was created. How often do we, as humans, limit ourselves with excuses, saying, “This is all I can do”?
In today’s Gospel, the parable of the minas illustrates this point beautifully. The master entrusts his servants with one mina each, asking them to trade with it until his return. Two servants multiply their mina, earning ten and five minas respectively, while the third returns the same mina, wrapped in a cloth, having done nothing with it.
While the third servant shows responsibility by preserving what he was given, he fails to act on it. Fear holds him back—fear of the master, fear of failure, and fear of taking risks. Instead of investing and growing his gift, he hides it away, provoking the master’s displeasure. The master reminds us that what is unused is ultimately taken away, for abundance grows where it is nurtured, but scarcity grows where potential is neglected.
Lessons for our lives:
(a) Fruitfulness requires courage: To bear fruit, we must extend our hands, face challenges, and embrace opportunities, even when risks are involved.
(b) Obedience to God’s call: We are called to use our gifts and talents for God’s glory, finding purpose in the work He entrusts to us.
(c) Always be prepared: We do not know the day or hour of the Lord’s return. Living a life of readiness is essential.
As pilgrims of hope, let us strive to live lives of faithfulness, always working to fulfil God’s purpose. May we bear fruit that glorifies Him and brings fullness to our journey. (Jubilee 2025 AD, bite 253).
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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