33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

God the Father has endowed us with many gifts.  Not only does scripture recommend that we give thanks for these (as in our readings from Proverbs and Psalms), but it recommends that these gifts must be put to use for the greater good and the love of God.

The Word for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Matthew 25:14-30

We open with a reading from the book of Proverbs.  This book falls within the category of “wisdom literature” in the Bible.  Like its other wisdom book counterparts, it is a collection of wise sayings used as a type of “catechism” to teach right living in the eyes of God.  Proverbs is thought to originate during the period of the Israelite monarchy but doesn’t reach its final form until the post-exilic period.  Our passage for this coming Sunday gives us the example of the value of a “worthy wife,” and how we should honor that value.  “Wisdom” in this period is considered more practical than theological, but to us modern Christians we recognize how wisdom is an important part of forming our character.  Similar to our passage in Proverbs our Psalm echoes the spirit of Thanksgiving that comes with such gifts as we sing, “blessed are those who fear the Lord.”

Our second reading comes from Paul’s 1st letter to the Thessalonians.  In this passage Paul is beginning his conclusion of this letter by reminding the community to be vigilant in their faith.  He believes Christ’s return is imminent, so he is reminding them to maintain their watch – to stay in the light.

Our Gospel from Matthew is the Parable of the Talents.  It is the final parable Jesus gives in Matthew’s Gospel just before the story of the Passion begins to unfold.  On the surface this parable would seem to support our basic capitalistic model for society:  the servants who are able to double their wealth are rewarded, and the servant who buried his talent is thrown out. 

On first listening to this parable, we hear nothing of what we would expect as “Christian charity” or “forgiveness”.  These are not the lessons being taught in this parable – those are lessons for another day.  So to better understand the lesson we need to remember that the society who first heard this story had no concept of democracy or capitalism.  What they did know is the master-servant relationship.  They know what it’s like to not be in control.  Jesus is trying to teach them that they do have some control and that they have a duty to make a difference – To make something of the gifts (or responsibilities) given to them.  Put another way, we should not waste our opportunities.

Final Thoughts:
It is somewhat ironic that the coinage used in our story is called a “talent.”  While this is an accepted translation of the term used for this kind of coin, modern English has a much different definition for the word “talent.”  For us, a “talent” is what we might consider as a “gift from God” – Those abilities and personal capabilities that not only make us unique but can (and should) be put to use for the greater good, both now and for the future. 

Thanking God for our gifts and putting those gifts to use is a very appropriate theme as we prepare not only for the Thanksgiving holiday but the end of our Liturgical year.  It's important for us to take this time and remember what and who is important in our lives, giving praise to the God who makes this possible.  With Advent approaching, it’s a good time also to consider how we are best using our gifts from God in preparing for his coming again.