33rdSunday in Ordinary Time A Parable of the Talents ii
GOOD MORNING (EVENING)…..AND WELCOME TO THE 33RD SUNDAY IN
ORDINARY TIME…..DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS????
IT MEANS….THIS THURSDAY IS THANKSGIVING…….AND THAT NEXT SUNDAY IS
THE FINAL SUNDAY IN THE CHURCH CALAENDAR YEAR….
WHICH, IN TURN MEANS…….IN JUST TWO WEEKS WE CELEBRATE THE
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT. MY HOW TIME FLYS WHEN YOUR HAVING FUN!!!!
NOW I DON’T WANT TO GET AHEAD OF OURSELVES…….. BUT I WANTED TO PUT
TODAY IN PERSPECTIVE. TODAY WE HEAR ANOTHER ONE OF JESUS TEACHING
PARABLES….WE’VE HEARD A LOT OF THOSE LATELY FROM THE GOSPEL OF
MATTHEW, HAVEN’T WE??? AND THIS ONE, JUST LIKE THE REST….IS CHOCK FULL
OF WISDOM…..AND CHALLENGES FOR US AS CHRISTIANS….EXACTLY THE WAY
JESUS MEANT THEM TO BE……….APPROPRIATE IN HIS DAY…….AND RIGHT ON
TARGET FOR US….TODAY.
IN THIS PAST WEEKS RCIA GATHERING….OUR OWN BECKY HEALY…..WHOM MANY
OF YOU KNOW AND ADMIRE…..GAVE US A MEDITATION ON TODAY’S GOSPEL
THAT REALLY CAPTURED ITS CHALLENGES FOR US IN THE
PARABLE…..AND WITH HER PERMISSION…..I GIVE YOU A SMALL EXCERP;
PARAPHRASED AND ALTERED SLIGHTLY FOR OUR SPECIFIC PURPOSE……
LISTEN CLOSELY……
(2)
EACH AND EVERYONE OF US HERE TODAY…..IS HERE FOR A DIVINE
PURPOSE….REGARDLESS OF WHO WE ARE….WHERE WE CAME FROM….OR HOW
WE ENDED UP HERE…IN THIS MASS! WE HAVE ALL BEEN CALLED BY
GOD…..TO BE HERE……FOR HE HAS A MESSAGE JUST FOR US, EACH OF US …....A
SPECIAL GIFT…..A SPECIAL GRACE….QUITE LIKELY A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY!
THIS IS TRUTH….AND WITH THIS TRUTH…..COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY….
FOR DON’T WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY…….TO MAKE GOOD USE OF WHAT GOD
GIVES US?????? DO WE BELIEVE THAT IN OUR FINAL JUDGEMENT……WE WILL
HAVE TO ANSWER FOR THOSE TIMES THAT WE FAILED TO DISCERN….ACCEPT AND
USE GOD’S GIFTS IN OUR LIVES….AS HE INTENDED?????
YOU SEE…..IN TODAY’S PARABLE…..THE TALENTS….GIVEN TO THE SLAVES BY THE
MASTER…… REPRESENT THOSE GIFTS, THE SPECIAL GRACES AND
OPPORTUNITIES…….GOD GIVES TO US…..FOR A REASON!
THEY ARE MEANT TO ENRICH OUR LIVES…..AND THE LIVES OF THOSE AROUND
US………THEY ARE MEANT TO GUIDE US THROUGH THIS EARTHLY
JOURNEY…..WITH ALL ITS PITFALLS AND CHALLENGES…….ULIMATELY TO
HEAVEN…..WHERE JESUS WAITS FOR US WITH OPEN ARMS.
SO YES……..JESUS MESSAGE TO US THROUGH THIS PARABLE IS ……WE WILL BE
HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR HOW WE DID OR DID NOT USE….. HIS GIFTS…. AS HE
INTENDED…..
(3)
SO….TODAY….LET US PRAY TO GOD FOR WISDOM TO RECOGNIZE THE GIFTS….HE
HAS FOR US TODAY AND EVERY DAY…..AND FOR THE STRENGTH AND COURAGE
TO USE THOSE GIFTS AS HE INTENDS …. FOR AFTERALL….THIS IS HOW WE FIND
PEACE AND HAPPINESS IN THIS LIFE…….AND THE JOY OF EVERLASTING LIFE WITH
JESUS IN HEAVEN…..
HAVE A WONDERFUL….FAITHFILLED THANKSGIVING….AND MAY GOD BLESS US!