FIRST READING (She works with loving hands.)

A reading from the Book of Proverbs (31:10–13, 19–20, 30–31)

When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She obtains wool and flax and works with loving hands. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her a reward for her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

 

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (128:1-2, 3, 4-5)

Blessed are those who fear the Lord. (Cf. Ps 128:1a)

Blessed are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored. (R)

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like olive plants around your table. (R)

Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. (R)

 

SECOND READING (Let the day of the Lord not overtake you like a thief.)

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians (5:1-6)

Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night. When people are saying, “Peace and security,” then sudden disaster comes upon them, like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief. For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Jn 15:4a, 5b)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Remain in me as I remain in you, says the Lord. Whoever remains in me bears much fruit. (R)

 

(Long Form)

GOSPEL (Since you were faithful in small matters, come, share your master’s joy.)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (25:14-30)

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come and share your master’s joy.’ Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come and share your master’s joy.’ Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’ His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’”—The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

 

(Short Form)

GOSPEL (Since you were faithful in small matters, come, share your master’s joy.)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (25:14-15, 19-21)

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come and share your master’s joy.’”—The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

 

“For to everyone who has will be given more.”  

 

As we now approach the end of our Liturgical Year and next week’s celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the King, we continue with readings that direct our thoughts towards the Parousia: the last FOUR things we all face, but especially for Christians, DEATH, JUDGMENT, HEAVEN or HELL. It is not a subject we like to discuss, let alone be asked to think about, but – in a word – the Parousia, the Greek Scriptural term for this time, is not for the faint of heart. The Parousia is about finally meeting the Lord, and about our judgment and accountability before him. 

While last Sunday’s parable of the wise and foolish virgins centered on the symbol of the oil needed to tend the lamps, this week the parable is about “talents” which – at the time of Christ – were an enormous sum of money. Biblical scholars tell us that a talent – one talent – equaled 6,000 denarii, and one denarius was equivalent to a full day’s wages of an ordinary worker. So – I’ll do the math here… one talent equals wages for 16.5 years! So, the 3 gifts given to the servants was more money than most could ever realize in their lifetime. 

For many of us, the attitude of the master when he returns from his long journey seems a bit harsh – perhaps unjust or immoral. First, none of the servants took the money and used it on himself. The first two invested it and reaped almost double the amount back. The master called them “good and faithful and rewarded them. The third one simply hid the talent away – mostly, as he himself admits, out of FEAR. He is eventually punished, not because he was a poor manager of funds, but because he did not take his responsibilities seriously enough. He could not act because of FEAR. 

There is a great phrase used a lot these days about so many different issues: Use it, or lose it! It can be used to refer to the brain function, or muscle tone, or even for political values such as free speech. The meaning is, if you don’t use this gift, this talent, this virtue, or this grace… you lose it. And the reason behind the reluctance of so many to act is FEAR. 

Unlike the waiting virgins in last week’s Gospel parable, who presumed on the generosity of others, this man is a victim of his own fright. 

F.E.A.R = FORGET EVERYTHING AND RUN.

but it can also mean = FACE EVERYTHING AND RISE. And that is the lesson of our Gospel. After the predictions of the end of time and the severe judgment of the Lord towards those who are unfaithful, Matthew is urging the community here not to be timid and fearful, but to be willing to take risks. 

The paradox of biblical revelation is that a merciful, gracious and compassionate God who liberates us from slavery, is also the God who will judge us on the use of the gifts we have been given. Every gift of God is also a mandate to us who receive them to bear fruit in God’s vineyard!

Use it, or lose it. 

This is also shown in our first reading of the worthy wife. This woman is the complete opposite of the irresponsible and fearful servant. She not only fulfilled her responsibilities, but she did so in an exceptional way: she brings her husband good and not evil, she reaches out her hand to the poor and extends her arms to the needy. She “fears the Lord” but not out of fright or timidity, but out of love and reverence that spur her to action FACE EVERYTHING AND RISE!

Our 2nd reading continues a theme in this particular Letter to the Thessalonians about the end-times, the Parousia, reminding them that that last day, that last moment will come “like a thief in the night” or like the sudden pangs of childbirth. The phrase Paul uses, the Day of the Lord is found throughout the prophetic literature of the Old Testament as a day of reckoning and judgment. For many it can bring on FEAR but which FEAR? FORGET EVERYTHING AND RUN? or FACE EVERYTHING AND RISE! 

For the many TALENTS that the Lord has given to us (isn’t it interesting to see how this word has moved from being an enormous sum of money to now refer to abilities, gifts, virtues…? -) how will we be judged? While God created us all equal in terms of the natural human rights we are given at birth, we are not all equal in our abilities. We have different intellectual abilities and different physical strengths and skills. We are born with different social opportunities and advantages and challenges. Like the three servants in the Gospel, we are entrusted with different talents. 

We often look around at others who we feel are “very talented,” and we compare them to our own view of ourselves, and often this can cause us to minimize the very real and worthwhile gifts we have. Because we cannot sing solo like some people, we feel we shouldn’t sing at all. Because we cannot play an instrument like a virtuoso, we decide not to play anything (Think of the orchestra behind the virtuoso) Hillary Hahn! Because we can’t play a sport like a professional athlete, we fear even joining a team; Instead of using our talents, we FEAR doing anything and only sit and dream about the talents we don’t have.

Our talent might not be spectacular but it is real and important. There are talents like those of the virtuous woman in our 1st reading who has the skill to raise a family and household – a talent sorely needed today. Will we USE the talents given to us, or LOSE THEM? Will we be cowered by fear and timidity and forget everything and run… or will we FACE EVERYTHING AND RISE!

Prayers

Celebrant: When we appear before the judgment seat of God, we will have to account for our use, or misuse of the gifts he entrusted to us. In prayer, we seek the help of our Creator for our stewardship.

 

READER: That the Church will always appreciate and use the many different gifts of her members, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

 

READER: That government will respect and protect human life from conception to natural death, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

 

READER: In imitation of St. Paul’s teachings, may we always be alert to God’s presence in our lives, looking for ways to be of service as children of the light, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

 

READER: That his praying community may “stay wide awake and sober,” watching for the coming of Christ, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

 

READER: In this month dedicated to the Poor Souls in Purgatory, let us pray for our faithful departed that they may join their Master’s eternal happiness, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

 

CELEBRANT: Father, we try to be faithful in all we do. Forgive us when we fail, and guide us in response to these prayers. We ask this, through Christ our Lord. (all) AMEN.