Tips from the Monastery: Lending Your Talent to the Lord

 

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Happy feast of St. Paisios the Athonite!

A short Prologue: As shown in the photos, I recently finished a canvas I painted to be put on the wooden candle stand that was kindly donated to our community last summer. The monasteries always have beautiful flowers and vines painted on candlesticks with gold backgrounds so I was excited to have an excuse to do likewise. I truly believe art is the one talent God gave me completely for free and it is really important to me to make sure I at least try to pay back the Master with interest. I’m deeply grateful that I get to use my talent to beautify our small, domestic Orthodox temple.

Per-canvas

One of the nicest elements of an Orthodox monastery is not only the cultivation of virtue but the opportunity one has to offer her talent for the good of the community and to the glory of God.

When Sister P. first became a novice she was so excited to learn embroidery and iconography – all the beautiful handicrafts one hears about nuns doing. She was a little surprised when her time was occupied with more mundane tasks. Of course this is understandable in the beginning but the nuns taught me that all things done in a monastery are done in honour of the saint and for God’s glory, no matter the task. We ought to offer all the talents we have to the glory of God.

Sister N. told me when she was a child visiting her older sister at the monastery she heard the abbess say that every deed done in the monastery was recorded by the monastery’s saint and shown to Christ on the day of judgment. After this she would rush around looking for things she could do, any scrap of garbage she could dispose of.

We should never underestimate the value of what we can offer to the Lord since He Himself greatly valued the widow’s two mites. I’m happy to say that now when Sister P. writes me letters she even mentions her duties washing the monastery’s vehicles. I often observed how the sisters lent their talent “to the One Who gave it” in a variety of ways.

That is how our parishes should be. One sings, another cleans, and still another figures out how to adhere the canvas Matushka painted to the wooden candle stand for the domestic chapel :).

I would really encourage you to seriously think about all the different talents, great and small, you have to offer and then seek opportunities to “give them to the poor” (ie. to the Church, to your parish community, a nearby monastery) for the glory of God.

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Gerontissa M. used to instruct our Byzantine chant class to help out with chanting if we could be of assistance. She would say, “Why should the chanting be done poorly. If you can help and you have a good voice, help.”

So, if you can sing, sing. If you can bake, bake. If you can clean, clean. If you can visit the sick, do so. If you can make prayer ropes, give them out. If you love to pray, commit to saying an extra service (the Paraclesis or an Akathist) once a week for the benefit of your parish. Whatever you have to give, give it. Do anything you can to lend the talent the Lord gave you to Him Who gave it through “spending” it at your parish for the benefit of your church community.

I’m certain the saint of your parish will do as the monastery patron and show Christ your good deeds on the Day of Judgment.

Behold how to you, my soul, the Master has entrusted the talent, with fear accept the gift of the Lord. Lend it to the One Who gave, distribute it to the poor and earn the friendship of the Lord Himself. So that you may stand on His right when He comes in His glory.  (A portion of the Aposticha of Great and Holy Tuesday).