Sunday 19th of November 2023 - Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Proverbs 31:10-13,19-20,30-31/ Psalm 127(128)/ 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6/ Matthew 25:14-30

Through the readings today we are called to a productive, industrious spirit of faith action, using the talents we have been given to create a profit as we await our master’s return. What are these talents, who is the master and when will he return?

The talents referred to in the gospel parable were the largest monetary denomination of the day. It signifies a large amount of money not just small change. The servants were being entrusted with a significant amount of their master’s wealth with the expectation that they would put it to good use and provide a decent profit on his return. The talents we receive are the generous gift of life, faith and all the abilities we have to live in God’s world.

The master being alluded to in the parable is Jesus. He is away now but his return, while delayed, is imminent and could be at any time. Having left us many talents Jesus expects us to use them in an industrious and enterprising way for our good, the good of our families, our communities, and the world in general, for the building up of his church on earth. He will take a dim view if these talents have been buried in idleness producing nothing in return.

The valuable talents we have been given are in the form of our faith, personal situations, abilities, opportunities, and many other gifts. They are immeasurable in value, and we are, through our baptism, expected to use them to good effect in preparation for the return of Jesus. As for the return of the master, we know he will come as he promised but we do not know when. That is why we must remain vigilant so that we are not taken by surprise like a thief in the night or the onset of labour. It is a call to be prepared for what we know is coming.

When reading scripture, we must be careful to appreciate that there is often a perspective from the time it was written but that it is the word of God and will have a meaning for us in our times. It is tempting for some to write off scripture such as the first reading and sections of Paul’s letters because of the way they refer to women. In fact, the perfect wife of the first reading is acknowledged for her many talents and valued beyond the price of pearls. It warns against the falseness and emptiness of charm and beauty instead steering us towards the value of heavenly wisdom. The wisdom of scripture is the wisdom of God and is personified as female in nature equating it in today’s reading as the practical wisdom of a wife and mother. If God made man and woman in his image and likeness, then there is no doubt that God encompasses the elements of what make a human person whether they be male or female.

Paul mentions several women in his writings who were clearly prominent in society and active in running the various faith communities he established. In eucharistic prayer one, often used by Father Edward, we hear the names of women saints who were prominent in the early years of the church. In the gospels we see how Jesus valued women greatly in a time when they were not so well regarded by society.

When seeking equality in this modern secular time it is important that what makes us distinct as individuals, as men and women, children, adults, and older people, is not lost by adding us all together thereby producing a common denominator that reduces all to a base level. This can lead to the distinct and different talents that we each have being buried in a false equality.

In front of God we, all his created people, are equal. The obvious biological differences we have allow us to use the many talents we are given to the best advantage possible. One example for me is the unique and intimate partnership a mother has with God in the creation of new and immortal human souls.

The creative act between a man and a woman also involves God. It is not simply a biological occurrence, God is present in the creation of an immortal soul, created by him with the intention that this new created person should wish to seek him out for eternal life in heaven. This is why Jesus taught us that a man should leave his father and mother and join with his wife and the two become one. No longer two separate and individual people but one entity of equal but different aspects joining with God to further his creation. A sacred partnership if ever there was one.

Yes, we are all equal in the sight of God and in respect of each other, but we are not all the same. Equality does not mean similarity. We are all individuals with differences of all sorts that permit us to use the various talents we have been given in different ways to produce the profits that God is expecting from us. The example is the first reading woman who, although a busy housewife, finds time to devote to the needs of others. This contrasts with the lazy servant in the gospel parable who has no enterprising spirit even though he knows what his master expects. The hard-working woman is extolled at the city gates while the good for nothing servant is thrown out into the darkness.

We are all equal but different. We have been given different talents in proportion to our abilities and situations. It is up to us to use those talents in the best way we can while we are in this life awaiting the return of Jesus. We need to remain industrious and vigilant because we do not know when we will be called to account. A life of fulfilling our baptismal commitment by growing in faith, virtue and enthusiasm will see us rewarded many times over. Like the woman of the first reading, we can all touch the lives of others. We are called to be industrious and enterprising with the talents we have been given. What are they, how can we use them? Do we bury them in a lack of enthusiasm, or do we use them for the glory of God and the advantage of all?

At the end of our lives, when we come face to face with Jesus, will he be able to say to us, ‘well done good and faithful servant’.

God Bless, Brendan.