Nov. 13, 2011 — Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Prv. 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31; Pslm. 128:1-2, 3, 4-5; 1Thes. 5:1-6; Mt. 25:14-30
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells a parable of a master who leaves on a journey, and entrusts three of His servants with his money while he’s gone. When he returns to find that two servants have wisely invested his money, he is very pleased and offers them a greater share in his riches, while the one man who did nothing with what he’d been given is thrown outside “where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” He is punished in an extreme way.
This is clearly another parable about the Parousia (the second coming of the Lord at the end of time). The Lord has entrusted us with much here and now, and when He returns, or when we are brought to Him upon our death, He expects that we will have used what He has given us wisely.
All that we have – our time, our talents, and our treasure – comes by way of gift from Him. And, so, as stewards we are to care for it as such – to recognize it as gift and to use it for His greater glory. What each of us has been given is different, just like the three servants in today’s Gospel, so He does not expect us to “measure up” to our neighbor, per se. Rather, He expects us to use our gifts to the best of our ability in His service – to take care of our responsibilities (ourselves and our families) and then to reach out in service to others (at the parish level and beyond).
