Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 157
Reading 1
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
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
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
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
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
We as Christians are entrusted with a very special gift. This gift comes in the form of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of something greater than what is being offered in society by the corporal powers that have their origins in society and things of this earth. Jesus Christ has showed us a different way that comes from God the Father and has not been created by human hands. Believing in God and in Jesus Christ, while being driven forward by the Holy Spirit, places us in a different position than those who do not recognize God or embrace Him as the creator of all things. With this position come certain responsibilities that we cannot ignore. The message that we have received is one that we have to share through our thoughts, actions, and conduct. There is no getting around it. Our daily lives cannot be separated from of our beliefs. The message must influence everything. This includes all of our relationships and actions throughout our lives.
There is a temptation to marginalize our faith-life and separate it from our daily activities. This is the core message presented in the Gospel Reading today. What we have been given by Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him is more precious than anything else we can obtain from this physical life. All wisdom and knowledge obtained regarding our faith comes from God and is uncorrupted by human hands. This means that it is superior to anything else that we might receive from from anyone else. In reaction to this we should treat it as more precious than gold. This brings us back to the statement Jesus made,
“You cannot serve both God and mammon.”
In other words we all have a choice to make: Do we serve God or do we serve that within this creation that has been constructed and promoted by man? At times we might feel torn between the two but ultimately we do have to make a choice. The choice that we make will impact our entire existence here and throughout eternity. This cannot and should not be marginalized. What we do and say now has repercussions that cannot be avoided.
Jesus Christ is at the core of our beliefs. Jesus Christ is the culmination of everything that was revealed to us previously in Sacred Scripture and Divine Revelation. He is the epoch of everything through and by the Father. We are taught that the Kingdom of God dwells within all of us and, we being God’s children, are part of that kingdom. That means Jesus Christ is within us also and that we have the ability to reveal Him. Jesus, being more precious than anything that man can offer, becomes more valuable than all of the material wealth of the world combined. Nothing can compare to Him or what He has to offer. When we spread this wealth and proclaim what has been given to us it immediately multiplies and increases in value because it increases the value and importance of everything it comes in contact with. When we live our lives exemplifying Jesus and revealing His kingdom to others then those who receive it are lifted up and also increase in value as they claim their birthright as Children of God. The importance and value continuously increases and all those who receive it benefit. This is the vision that God provides in regards to His kingdom: a new heaven and earth is created through the Christ Experience. The kingdom comes from within all of us and we all have an important part in it.
With this understanding why would we ever want to hide our faith and not let it influence our life and the lives of all those we come in contact with? There can be not argument against living out our faith-life and spreading the Good News to as many people as possible through our thoughts and actions. The other choice just cannot compare regardless what anyone else has to say about the matter. Unfortunately we convince ourselves otherwise but in times like these we have to ask ourselves: Who are we going to trust us or God? The answer is obvious.
The Apostle Paul warns us not to be caught off guard. He reminds us that we do not belong to the night nor the darkness. We are children of the light and the light he speaks of is Jesus Christ. It is good to envision ourselves as always walking in the light guided by Christ. As long as we stay within the light we are safe and secure. This is a guarantee. Whatever obstacles we face are easily overcome by the power of the light because nothing can defeat it. Nothing can defeat Jesus Christ. That is why the corporal powers of the earth fear and loath Jesus so much. Wherever Jesus is there is faith, hope, and love. We being His children means that we are bearers of the light and represent Christ Himself thus nothing can overcome us unless we allow it. We should then live with a certain confidence that nothing can withstand us as long as everything is done through, by, and in Our Lord Savior Jesus Christ.
The Gift that Jesus has given us is precious. To fully experience it and benefit from it we must treat it as important as it is. As long as we do this everything that we labor for will bear fruit sevenfold as proclaimed in Sacred Scripture. Knowing this is the first step. Believing it is the next step. Living it and sharing it is the final step.
Deacon Tom
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
My sisters and brothers in Christ,
Today the First Letter to the Thessalonians tells us: “Let us stay alert and sober.” This is a strong message at the end of the Church year and as we think of the end of the world and of our own personal death. We should not fear the end of the world or our own personal death. Most likely the world will not end in our lifetime, but we do not know that. On the other hand, we can be completely confident that we ourselves shall die. True life is always living toward death.
The first reading today comes from the Book of Proverbs, which is part of the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. The selection today tells us the value of a good wife. In reality, the good wife is a model for all of us, women or men. Such a person brings good and blessings to all others, knows how to do things wisely, knows how to work, know how to care for the poor and knows how to care for her husband and her family. One of the points of this reading is that physical beauty can be deceiving and what really counts is beauty of character. The wife in this reading is clearly a person who knows how to use and invest her talents in the realities that will last forever. She know how to live towards death with all that truly matters.
The second reading is from the First Letter to the Thessalonians and addresses directly the end of the world. No one knows what that day will happen. It will come like a thief in the night. On the other hand, we should be prepared each day as though it will happen today. This kind of thinking is not meant to scare us but it is meant to keep us aware that we must be prepared. Just as the wife in the first reading seems always prepared for whatever happens, so also we must be prepared for all that happens. Even at this very moment, death could be coming to me soon—but probably not. It is that “probably not” that allows us to forget death and to live as though death and what is beyond it do not exist.
One of the remarkable aspects of aging is that people come face to face with the reality of death. Some of us struggle in every way possible to stay young and to pretend that we are young. Others of us seem to embrace getting old, sometimes before old age has even come upon us. For most of us, getting older is simply a part of living to be accepted. The point of the reading today is that part of getting older is being prepared to die and to meet the Lord. We need to ask ourselves: “Am I ready to meet the Lord right now?” If I am not, then I had better begin the work to prepare myself!
The Gospel today, from Saint Matthew, tells us about how to live. Each of us has been given a personal life. Each of us has been given gifts and talents and capacities. What do we do with them? Are we truly living? Do we use our lives for others? Do we seek to be faithful to what the Lord asks of us?
Your brother in the Lord,
Abbot Philip
This Sunday we are given three readings that don’t fit together so very well. Nevertheless, they are the readings given to us for this Sunday and we shall look at each one separately and then see if we can relate them to one another.
The first reading, from the Book of Wisdom, speaks about the worthy wife and her value in the family and to her husband. There is no doubt in the author’s mind that a truly worthy wife is a gift beyond anything that a man can imagine. We have to look at the culture that produced this reading to understand that a man who had a wife who was a companion was considered incredibly blessed. The description of this ideal wife is that she is industrious on her own and brings wealth and well-being to the family. In addition to material wealth, this ideal wife also takes care of the poor and the needy in the area. She is a gift not only financially but, perhaps more importantly, spiritually.
The second reading today comes from the First Letter to the Thessalonians. Today’s portion of this letter is speaking about the final times, the end times, which everyone presumes will be coming soon. In order to prepare for such times, the follower of Jesus must always be alert and sober. These times can come at any time so we should always be ready for them.
The Gospel, from Matthew, is the Parable of the Talents. The Master gives three different servants three different amounts of money to test them and see if they can use them well. These might be materials talents, natural human talents, or they might be spiritual talents and spiritual gifts. Two of the servants use what is given them very well but the third servant simply tries not to lose what he has been given. Jesus’ teaching seems clear: whatever gifts we have, material or spiritual, must be used for the Kingdom of God. If we do not give ourselves to the Kingdom of God, we have not heard the message of our Lord.
The one aspects that might tie all three readings together today is this: we must all stay sober and alert in order to live a life that truly gives glory to God and serves our neighbor. This is particularly true as we come to the end times. In some sense, we are always in the end times and so must always be prepared for the end. We are all called upon to live in such a way that we bring credit, joy and delight to the communities to which we belong. We are all given talents, whether material or spiritual, and we must use them for the Kingdom.
May our Lord help us shine in the darkness, giving witness to the Light of Christ and living a life of light.
Monastery of Christ in the Desert
Today’s readings are about wisdom, as they were last Sunday. The first reading, from the Book of Proverbs, tells about the joy of a good marriage, from the point of view of the man who has a good wife. This story could be told the other way around as well and probably would be told that way in our present day. It really makes not much difference, those who are married know if their spouse is really good, really committed to the marriage and really committed to God. These are foundational elements in a marriage. Today, however, we are invited to sing from the doors of the Church how wonderful it is to find women who are so good, so committed and so faithful to God!!
The Gospel is presumed to be about men who are entrusted with responsibility and learn how to use that responsibility well. Truly it is not just about money but about using every gift in life for the Master—here, God Himself. Again, it does not matter if we think of this parable, this story, in terms of men or women. The teaching is the same: you and I are responsible for our lives and we must give our energies to living well, to using all that has been given us in the service of God. That means, for us who believe in the Scriptures, that we must love God and our neighbor and use all of our energies to love God and our neighbor.
The problem that is pointed out today is fear; a fear of losing what we have and thus refusing to live. This is not a story about how to be prudent, how to be careful, how to make sure we don’t lose anything. Instead, the point of the story is to use all that we have for love of God and love of others.
The second reading, from First Thessalonians, ties directly into the other readings. We are made aware that at some point in our lives, the Day of the Lord will be upon us. We can understand this Day of the Lord in two ways. First, we all recognize that we are going to die. This should not scare us or make us gloomy. Living is always living towards death. And for us who believe, death is the doorway to eternal life, so we need not fear it. We need not fear even if we are still sinners, because we can never earn salvation. Rather we must place ourselves in the hands of this living God who loves us and trust entirely that God will bring us to live and free us from our sins. Sure, we have to be sorry for our sins. But we know that quite often we are incapable by ourselves of overcoming all the sinfulness that we see in ourselves. But it is God who loves us, who invites us to share His life and who pardons us. Let us trust in Him.
We can also understand the First Letter to the Thessalonians as talking about the end of the world. Today this is not a popular topic, but it is still a part of the teaching of our Church. At a populat level, we still have some concerns about nuclear holocausts, about planetary destruction by comets, etc. Our faith doesn’t tell us how the world will end, only that it will end. We don’t know when the world will end, just as we don’t know when our own life will end.
Both the reality of the our own death and the reality of the end of the world are pointed out to us as useful information. The Scriptures summarize this information like this: now is the time of salvation! We must learn to live in the present moment as fully as possible. We are invited to live each moment for the Lord and for others so that we are always ready to die and always ready for the end of the world. So the Gospel exhorts us: Be ready!! Let us ask today for this gift of living in the present and let us give thanks to God who invites us to share His life.
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