New Year! New life?

It is a common habit to formulate the beginning of each year a number of promises. Many promises in order to do, to change, to start that and that thing. Other for the purpose of not doing, not cultivating something that we consider harmful to our body or our soul.

The calendar and its changes are, however, just human conventions, because an existence in this world should be considered globally and it only two dates are really relevant - the day we arrived to a new reincarnation experience and the day we return to the true homeland.

Given this, we would like to remember here two parables told by Jesus that they should, rather, be present in our minds every time we review the year ending and prepare ourselves for a new year.

We refer to the parable of the talents and the parable of the last judgment - these titles pertaining obviously to the way the parables are known, since there is not a name in them.

Here are the verses that contain the first - the parable of the talents:

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Because this is like a man going into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to their ability, and went into right away.

And when he left, the one who received five talents negotiated with them, and gained other five talents. And likewise the other who had received two, also gained other two. But the man who had received one went and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants came back, and reckoned with them. Then it came who had received five talents and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, you delivered to me five talents; here are other five talents I have gained beside them. His lord said unto him: Well done, good and faithful servant. About the faithful were little, I will set you over much; Enter into the joy of thy lord. And also coming that had received two talents came and said: Lord, you delivered to me two talents; behold I have gained other two talents. His lord said unto him: Well done, good and faithful servant. About the faithful were little, I will set you over much; Enter into the joy of thy lord. But also coming who had received the one talent came and said: Lord, I knew you, I know you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you did not scatter; and, frightened, I hid your talent in the earth; Here you have what is yours. In response, however, his lord said unto him: Thou wicked and slothful servant; you knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter. You ought therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and when I coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take away therefore the talent, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For to everyone who has will be given, and shall have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 25: 13-30) 

And here are the verses that contain the second - the parable of the last judgment:

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and all the nations will be gathered before him, and one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; It will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left.

Then the King will say to those on His right: Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; For I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; It was a stranger, and ye took me in; Naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison and you were to see me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying: Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? When saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And answering the king will say to them: Verily I say that when you did it to one of these my brethren, you did for me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left: Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; For I was hungry and you did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye not give me to drink; a foreigner, not me in; naked, and ye not clothed me; and sick, and in prison, and ye not visit me. Then shall they also answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying: Verily I say unto you, when one of these little ones to have done no, no you did it to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into eternal life. (Matthew. 25: 31-46)  

The message embedded in the transcribed parables is very clear. No need to have a brilliant intelligence to realize that the first indicates how the Lord evaluates the advantage we get with respect to material resources that He lent us to this existence. The final sentence spoken by the Lord to the first two servants is significant: "Good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful over a few things, I will set you over much."

The second is the assessment of our behavior in relation to others - the sick, the needy and the unfortunate that the law sentenced to jail. And the phrase spoken by the Lord's parable is like the first, expressive: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

We all, those who do and those who read this magazine, we can start 2016 keeping in mind two caveats that Jesus, good as it is, in good time sent to earthly humanity, today so imperfect and complicated.