OT 33 [A] : Prv 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31; I Thes 5:1-6; Mt 25:14-30

The Church places the parable of talents before us today, and this coming Sunday, we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. In our liturgy, we are reminded not just of the end of the liturgical year but of the end of all things and the preparations we need to make.  The Bible tells us that we are all created in the image and likeness of God, and he has placed on us multiple gifts and blessings.  He expects us to utilize these blessings for his kingdom and his people and develop the talents he has given us.  He wants us to be diligent and watchful for the coming of the Lord, who will take into account all that we have done.

The Reading from Matthew today involves two stories. The first reminded us of the necessity to be watchful at all times. The second, the Parable of the Talents, informs us why we must persevere in our living faith and be fruitful in all our thoughts, words and actions.  This parable illustrates the teaching of the Kingdom of Heaven and how everyone will be judged according to his use of the gifts God gives to human persons. 

The readiness for the Lord’s coming requires both foresight and an investment of effort on the part of His disciples. A disciple of the Lord does not just idly wait for the Master’s return, wasting his time without paying attention to his own spiritual growth and hoping that he can make up for lost time at the end or defend his actions or inactions with some lame excuse.

In today's second reading, St. Paul tells the people of Thessalonica that the day of the Lord, the end of time, will come like a thief in the night when people least expect it. Some of these people took Paul so seriously that they quit working and caring for their families. They expected everyone else to take care of them as they braced themselves for the end. Paul had to write a second letter to them telling that those who refused to work should not eat. Perhaps time will not end before we die, but when we die, our personal time comes to an end. We spend the month of November praying for our loved ones, and all the souls of the faithful departed who have died. Death is a reality everyone has to face. But it comes unexpectedly. So, keep working at the talents given to us.

The master in the gospel parable entrusts his possessions to three servants and then goes on a journey. When he returns, he calls them to see how they invested them, rewarding the first two who had returned more to him than he had given them and punishing the third who buried the talent in the ground. He was like a farm worker handing back a seed he had been given and saying to the farmer… here it is… you gave it to me... I have preserved the seed…  froze it… and here is the seed back exactly in the same condition as you gave it to me. The seed is meant for the sowing. It is intended for planting and germination. It is to produce a plant that will bear fruit. But he did not do it.

 Our unique gifts are not limited to grand gestures or extraordinary talents. They manifest in the small, everyday moments. Consider the friend who always knows how to make us smile, the colleague who effortlessly diffuses tension with humor or the family member with a knack for turning ordinary gatherings into cherished memories.

Let us embrace the truth that within each of us lies something extraordinary. It may be a skill, a passion, or a way of connecting with others. In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we often overlook the reservoir of potential that resides within each one of us. Our journey is to uncover these gifts, nurture them, and let them shine.

The journey of self-discovery is not always easy. It requires courage to step outside the familiar, to challenge ourselves, and to confront the unknown. The gifts within us are not meant to be kept hidden; they are meant to be shared with the world, adding unique threads to the rich fabric of human experience.

Often, people hesitate to take risks and remain in passive complacency.  The reason is that they think their little contribution will not make much difference in society.

One day, a man was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a young person reaching down to the sand, picking up something, and very gently throwing it back into the sea. As he got closer, he called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?” The young person paused, looked up and replied, “Throwing starfish into the sea.”  Why are you throwing starfish into the sea?” he asked. “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”  “But, don’t you realize that there are miles of beach here and starfish all along it. You can’t possibly make a difference!”  The young person listened politely. Then knelt down, picked up another starfish and, threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said…”Made a difference to this one.” 

Even when our contributions are seemingly very little, it can make a change to us and in different ways in the lives of others. There are also countless stories of saints and famous people over the many ages who overcame great obstacles (including feeble health), and limitations of all sorts to produce the most amazing fruits and astounding results in their lives. They did it by determination, hard work  (and, of course, by the grace of God), and utilizing well the talents and vision they did possess.  

All of us in the Church today have received at least one talent: the gift of Faith. Our responsibility is not just to preserve and “keep” the Faith, but to work with it. We need to promote and add value to Faith by living it out. May the Lord give us the grace to preserve the faith, or any other talent that God has given us to put it to work and make it bear fruit.