Eternal and most glorious God,

who hast stamped the soul of man with thine Image,

received it into thy Revenue,

and made it part of thy Treasure;

suffer us not to undervalue ourselves,

nay, so to impoverish thee

as to give away these souls for nothing,

and all the world is nothing

if the soul must be given for it.

Do this, O God,

for his sake who knows our natural infirmities,

for he had them,

and knows the weight of our sins,

for he paid a dear price for them,

thy Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

John Donne, 1572 – 1631, English poet, satirist, lawyer and priest

 

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Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

 

 

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.