Deacon Tom Anthony

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 157

Reading 1 Prv 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.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R. (cf. 1a) Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
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. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants
around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
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. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Reading 2 1 Thes 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.

Alleluia 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. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 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, 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, 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.'"

My Brothers and Sisters,

What a precious gift we all have been given by Our Lord Jesus Christ. As Christians, we are challenged to recognize just how valuable it is. The Word of God is a treasure to be cherished, protected, and treated as our most precious commodity. Sacred Scripture is a love story between us and God. It begins with our creation and reaches its full revelation through the Incarnation of Jesus Christ: The Word becoming flesh. Undeservedly we have been given it all so that we may enter into a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God Our Father through Jesus Christ. With that being the case, we are then asked a simple question: “What are we going to do with the priceless treasure which has been entrusted to us?

In the world today there are so many distractions and pressures which we all face. Usually this leads to anxiety and a great dissatisfaction with our present condition and where we want to be. We tend to raise the bar high regarding material possessions, status, and relationships which affect us emotionally. Wherever we find ourselves, it never seems to be enough. The allures of what could be or what could have been overwhelm us. The constant bombardment of advertisements and pictures of happiness linked to materialism does not help our condition. It actually belittles us into a feeling of despair. It is ironic that this happens even when we are already in possession of the greatest treasures that man has ever known: Salvation and Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Putting Jesus Christ first in our lives ensures a solid foundation from where we can start to build. What He has to offer serves as instruction to a life centered in Him. With Him, we are already lifted to the highest of heights on His shoulders. The heavy construction and lifting is already done. He did all the design and preliminary construction that makes it simpler to continue what He has already started. Yes, there is still much more hard work to be done but the vision of what is and could be in the future is evident. We just need to follow what is laid out before us.

It must be remembered that builders never build alone. There is wisdom in builders working together towards a common goal. Camaraderie develops between all who are involved in the building process. Everyone becomes invested in the project, finding support and friendship through it. It is a shared experience with one goal in mind. This is what our relationship with Jesus Christ is like. He is the foreman. We are the builders. Our individual foundation becomes a part of the overall project with many foundations and many building that in turn develop into a city: A City of God. What we might have thought to be a single structure in actuality is endless in size and scope just like the Love of God.

This is what we can gain from the Parable of the Tenants. What Jesus has to offer us is boundless wisdom and limitless love that will bring us close to Him and into a relationship filled with fulfillment and joy. We are then asked to invite others into this relationship and join together on a journey which will lead us all to eternal life and indescribable joy. Nothing will ever compare with that experience. To experience it alone is like not experiencing it at all. We are all in this together and it is only through togetherness that a full experience will be achieved. Through one the message will be spread to many and the many will then do the same to others.

Paul’s words to the Thessalonians serve as a warning to us as Christians who are already in possession of this treasure:

“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.”

We know what we have. We now have to treat it with the importance that it demands. We cannot hide it. We cannot bury it. We cannot keep it to ourselves. It is meant to be enjoyed and given away. It is through this act of giving that we prevent ourselves from becoming lazy and falling asleep. This is part of the higher awareness that we will achieve through Jesus Christ. We are exposed through to the truth and everything else fades away in comparison to it. It is through this truth that we then can not only build but live within the Kingdom of God.

Deacon Tom