Homily: November 19, 2023, Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (talents)

(for our lady of Americas parish )

"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, share your master’s joy.’”

As we near the end of the liturgical year, the readings are focused on helping us reflect and think about how it would be for us at the end of time.

In today’s parable of the talents, the one who received five talents made five more, and the one who received two talents made another two. Both of them doubled what they initially received, they were able to imitate and produce what their master had given them.

Thus, both of them received the priceless reward, which was an invitation to share their master’s joy.

However, the servant who received one talent had a much easier task, he only needed to imitate and produce one talent which the master gave. Instead, he was lazy and did not make any effort at all to use what he was given, he did not even make an attempt to be useful or productive.

So, our task is the same, what we need to do in our lives is to imitate Jesus and do what He does. Whatever we have received in our lives, we need to use it to give glory to God like Jesus did. Whatever God has given, whether big or small, more or less, we must not hide them nor bury them.

Do not start to think that you are not good enough or not worthy. Some of us might feel that we have had a bad start in life, we were born in poverty, grew up without good opportunities, or did not have conducive environment to be successful.

But look at our Lord Jesus, He too was born in poverty, lived in foreign lands to escape danger, and learnt humble carpentry, yet He lived always in obedience to God’s will, followed God’s plan and accepted suffering and death.

God does not look at what we have been given at first, He looks at what we finally do with what we have been given.

Our duty is to make full use of the gift of life, gift of love, gift of faith, and gift of talents we have received. Whatever situation we are in, we imitate Jesus in obedience to God, use all our gifts wisely and multiply. Cooperating with the Holy Spirit, our obedience will bear much fruit, bringing glory and praise to God.

In first reading, titled 'A Valiant Woman', we see what a ‘worthy wife’ does, it reminds me of what my mother used to do for our family before she passed on. And those tasks were nothing unusual nor controversial, yet my mommy, and this valiant woman described in the Book of Proverbs, did everything with dedication. Such women are to be praised in God’s eyes. 

St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Some of you here, mothers or not, are also doing such tasks for your family daily. Remember, God does not look at how simple your work is, He looks at how humbly and obediently you put your heart to your responsibilities for His greater glory. He wants us to be ‘faithful in small matters’.

And God will say to us, “Well done, come, share your master’s joy!” Our reward awaits us in heaven. Amen.