The Lord has given us gifts with which to serve Him and His people. If we obey to the Lord and use these gifts, we will bear much fruit. In response, the Lord will give us more gifts, fruit, and responsibility. "The moral is: whoever has will be given more" (Lk 19:26).

Another Biblical principle is: "When much has been given a man, much will be required of him. More will be asked of a man to whom more has been entrusted" (Lk 12:48). The more God gives us, the more responsibilities we have. If we are faithful in fulfilling our responsibilities, we will be given more, so we then will have even more responsibilities. If we are faithful to the Lord, this escalation of receiving God's gifts and responsibilities goes on indefinitely.

Therefore, today you should have more responsibilities to serve the Lord than at any other time in your life. On the day you die, you should reach the zenith of your responsibilities on earth to serve the Lord.

This message of escalating responsibilities is not welcomed as good news by a culture which glorifies leisure and avoids responsibility, commitment, and self-sacrifice. However, those who have decided to live a life of love and thanksgiving welcome ever greater responsibilities and see them as more and new opportunities to express love and thanksgiving to God. Love to be ever more responsible.

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, April 2, 1996

Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 3, 1996