Ordinary Time, 33rd Sunday (A)

In the Parable of the Talents, the master only cares about money. He is thrilled with his servants who have learned to do as he does. The third servant is terrified of losing his master's money, and gets exactly the thing he was trying to avoid.

Our master is Jesus. What does Jesus love? He as certainly not a lover of money, power, pleasure, or popularity. Jesus loves God, and he loves God's people. If we want to be worthy servants of our master, we need to learn to love what Jesus loves.

I worry that many of us, like the third servant, more motivated by fear than by love. We allow God to love us to some extent, but then we bury our faith at home and at work. How many of us are excited about Thanksgiving because we have a wonderful opportunity to share God's love with our guests?

The "worthy wife" from Proverbs 31 is putting her love into action by caring for her husband, her children, and the poor. Her love has become "incarnate" in her everyday actions. If we want to be "good and faithful servants" at the final accounting, then we must love what our Master loves, and do what our Master would do.

(19 Nov 2023)

Going Deeper: When have I allowed myself to be more motivated by fear than by love, and buried my gifts instead of bearing fruit for the Kingdom? Do I know others who bury their gifts because they feel insignificant?

Image Source | Over 12 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share| Find me on Facebook and Twitter | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal