examination of the heart 480 for themselves so that they may not fail on the way; thus you, miserable pilgrim, strive with all your strength to take part in the present Communion fruitfully and to refresh yourself by the Sacred Eucharist, so that you may advance more bravely in the course of your pilgrimage. 2. “entrusted to them his property” (Mt 25:14). Consider and appreciate the talents received from the Lord and use them properly. Think, of the end for which He has made you fit so that you would not prove yourself useless. Listen to Gregory who seriously reflected on this short utterance of the Savior and, not speaking lightly, said: “(The Savior) urges us to remember that we, realizing that we have received something more than the others in this world, may be judged, therefore, more severely by the Creator of the world.” And as reasoning, he adds: “For when [H]is gifts increase, the responsibility of accounting for them also grows greater.” And he thus concludes from this: “Everyone must then be more humble and more ready to serve God because of [H]is gifts, the more he realizes his obligation to account for them.”233 Ponder these words well, and indeed, cooperate most assiduously with the talents granted; especially because also in the present Communion the Lord is going to grant you some new grace. [f.156r] After Holy Communion 1. “He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them” (Mt 25:16). Consider that the diligence of a good servant involves increasing his master’s revenues, not diminishing them. Similar diligence 233 Cf. Gregorius Magnus, XL Homiliarum in Evangelia: Liber I — Homilia IX (Matth. XXV, 14-30), in: PL, vol. 76, Ateliers catholiques du Petit-Montrouge, Paris 1857, p. 1106 (n. 1463-1464).
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