33rd Sunday OT Year A Homily

The Church is made up of people who share one common belief and yet we as people are so different. Differences exist in our working situation, educational background, family upbringing, health history, age, and yet we still sit here joined together through the faith. We have nurses, teachers, students, farmers, fast food workers, and more present today and yet we have joined together for the celebration of this Mass. We have babies, children, teens, adults, and yet we have joined here to worship our Lord. There are those who are highly interested and those who are tired and those who want to get out of here as soon as possible, but despite that we have come here receive Christ in His Body and Blood.

These same differences existed in the early Church. We see these same differences played out in today's Gospel reading. There were three servants and they were not treated equally. One received five talents, another only two, and the last one received a measly one. We can defiantly say that they were not treated equally. Despite not being treated equally they were called to do something greater with what they were given. They were called to take how much or little they were given and to risk it all out of love in order to make it into something greater.

Yes we can look into the actions of the world around us and see that the parable of the talents is played out daily. We have rich people in this world who have been caught up in their own riches and could care less about using what they have been given for the assistance of someone who is in need. We have farmers who work hard inside of their fields and when they see somebody who is hungry they believe that they have nothing to offer them. We have teachers who care only about the paycheck they will receive and do not realize the importance that their job plays in the handing on of education to the youth of out nation. Hospital workers as well have been have been given the opportunity to see life in it's many stages, and yet some still are unable to see the importance of life in the people who surround them. What have we been in trusted with? Are we doing something with this to make it greater or do we fall in the sin of the servant with one talent who decided that it would be best to do nothing with what was in trusted to him?

Young or old we must answer this question. We must realize that nobody here has been dealt the same hand from God. Each of our lives are so different and yet we are called to be present today inside of this Church to present ourselves to God. On the day of judgment I am sure that nobody here wants to end up as the servant with one talent. The question for us is how can we take advantage of our gifts and make them greater. How can we who are present today begin to allow risk in our lives like the first two servants who were awarded greatly?

I am sure that shock came to the minds of these servants when they received word that they were to appear before their master and present him with the knowledge of what they had done with what they had been given. I am sure that the first two servants were relieved with the way they were treated, but that final servant and his lack of risk and love had to of come as a shock. Let us not join in his shock as we live out our lives. These readings from today present us with the reality of the end of times.

The end of times are indeed drawing closer for each of us today. We as a Church are drawing closer to the end of the Church's liturgical year. Next Sunday we draw to the end of our current translation of the Roman Missal. No longer will we be able to gather and respond with the responses that have become so familiar for us. These readings were placed here today to remind us of the end that is ever approaching.

Thankfully with the end comes new life and new opportunity. Yes next week will be the end of the Church's liturgical year, but a new one will be brought to life. May we take advantage of this opportunity to enter into a new year especially as we enter into the season of Advent and prepare for the coming of Christmas. Yes the Mass that we have grown comfortable with will no longer be used at the start of Advent, but with it will come a new translation for us which will help inspire us to grow closer to the divine. May we fully embrace it and enter into it, so that these changes may help us to further come into contact with the divine. Yes our life here on earth will come to an end, but we are promised life everlasting. May we use this time given to us to take risks with what we have been given, so that we may give greater glory to God out of love.

May all of us who are present here today be willing to take risks for the good of humanity. May we be willing to take risks, so that we may better give service to our Lord out of love. It is out of love that we will always be able to draw back to the Father. The first reading from Proverbs showcases a woman who was a great wife and was filled with love. She loved her husband and he loved her back. She worked hard and was able to take from her surplus and give it to the poor and the needy. She truly understood the risk that she needed to take within her life. She was not concerned solely with her own needs, but out of love was able to see the whole of humanity. May this woman be a reminder for us of the importance of taking our talents and risking all out of love. It is only when we act out of love that we may enter into the light of God and escape the darkness that was mentioned in today's readings.

We cannot allow ourselves to enter into the darkness. These readings may seem to present God as an angry judge, but we cannot see God in this manner. God loves us as much as the woman from Proverbs loved her husband. His love is so great that we are freely allowed the choice to squander our talents or to do something with them. Those who are cast into "the outside darkness" have chosen to dwell there. They have no desire to turn towards the great love of God and thus desire to remain in the darkness. No matter where we find ourselves today may we desire to enter fully into the light.

Yes today's readings may seem to be dark and sad, but at the heart is love and new life. May we trust in this love and even at the moments when we fill like their is no hope may we trust in the love that is continually shown to us by God. May we trust in the beauty of the Sacraments of the Church to help form our hearts towards love. May we no matter what difference may lye between us be able to draw closer to God out of love. May we take our talents as great or small as they may be and risk them out of love to turn them into something more.