The Worth of a Talent

In Matthew 25, 1-14, we read the parable of the talents.  The so-called 'common' talent of which The Lord speaks here, was no insignificant amount.  In fact, a single common talent weighed a hundred and thirty pounds.  Thus, a talent of silver, at twenty-five dollars an ounce, would be worth nearly $50,000.  Here, St. Gregory the Great makes a few observations regarding the servant who was given one talent and buried it in the earth instead of investing it:  

"The servant who did not make money on his master's talent repaid his master with the  words of an excuse: 'Lord, I know that you are a hard man, that you reap where you did not sow, and gather where you did not scatter, and fearing, I went and hid your talent in the earth: behold, you have what is yours.'  We should note that the useless servant called his master 'hard', to whom he pretends to care about his profit, and he says that he was afraid to put out the talent for interest, but he only should have been afraid lest he return this to his master without profit.  This servant is an image of very many within the Holy Church who fear to set upon the ways of a better life but do not fear to lay in the sloth of torpor; and although they consider themselves sinners, they fear to seize the ways of sanctity and do not dread to remain in their iniquities.  Peter is the figure of those who are still set in their weakness when he said, after seeing the miracle of the fishes: 'Leave me Lord, for I am a sinner' (Luke 5, 8).  Indeed, if you consider yourself a sinner, it is necessary that you not send The Lord away from you.  Those who reject the ways of a better condition and do not seize the protection of a more righteous life because they deem themselves to be weak, confessing themselves to be sinners, and reject The Lord, whom they ought to sanctify in themselves, flee, as it were, and do not have counsel in their trouble when they die, and they fear life.  Then, further on, the master responds to this servant: 'You wicked and lazy servant!  You knew that I reap where I do not sow, and gather where I do not scatter.  You should have given my money to the bankers so that when I came, I should have received what is mine, with interest.'  And with these words, the servant was bound: 'I reap where I do not sow, and gather where I do not scatter.'  As though to say clearly, If, according to your own words, I take what I did not give, how much more I require from you what I gave you to invest."