Homily for the Week of November 13, 2011

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (A), 2011

Readings: Prv 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31; Ps 128:1-5; 1 Thes 5:1-6; Mt 25:14-30

Our Gospel story today speaks of sums of money that would never be actually paid to servants. Given the way a story works, and to emphasize a point, Jesus exaggerated. Using today’s federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour as a base, five talents would be worth about two million dollars. Two talents would be worth about $696,000, and one talent about $348,000.

Our Gospel today is from a section of Matthew Gospel that deals with our death and what happens after our death. It has been chosen to prepare us for next Sunday’s celebration of the Feast of Christ the King. Jesus tells today’s story to help us understand the ground rules for judgement when he returns.

Today Jesus tells us a story about a wealthy man who went away on a journey. He entrusted large portions of his money to three of his servants. The servants were entrusted with money beyond their wildest imagination. He did so without any instruction, giving the servants the freedom to use their own discretion and initiative with how to handle their responsibility for the money. He gave different amounts of money to each of the servants. The first two servants invested the money during the master's absence and it yielded great returns. The third servant, however, was fearful of investing. The servant buried the money he was given and returned the full amount to the master when he came home. The master was pleased with the investments of the first two servants, but was very upset with the third one. It is very clear that the one with the single talent was nor punished fo receiving less than the other two; rather he was punished because he buried what he had received from the master and didn’t put it to good use. To those who have much, much more will be given. To those who have little, even that little will be taken away.

This story is not about the stock market. It is about God. It is about what we do with our gifts, financial or otherwise. It is about the end times, the end of the world, the end of our lives. Whatever is given to us—money, talent, opportunity is for the glory of God and a help to getting us to heaven when we die. As the story makes clear, the entire judgement of each individual is based upon our service to the least of our brothers and sisters.

God has entrusted us with generous gifts that are no less valuable than that which the rich man entrusted to his servants, and like the rich man, what God expects is not an ordinary return. We have been given a gift called faith, and faith must be invested. Like the rich man, God expects us to make what is entrusted to us increase. If our faith is to become anything more than it is now, we must risk our gift. Too often, though, we either squander our gift of faith outright or we so rarely use it that, like a fine musical instrument not played often enough, it rots away and loses its tone and beauty.

In its most fundamental sense, the image of the talent represents the bounty of life itself, as well as the preeminent gift of faith. If we are among those fortunate enough to reach the maturity required for personal responsibility and to have the opportunity to use the talents of life and faith, it is incumbent upon us to invest our gifts, not hide them out of fear or laziness.

This story is less about money than about what happens at the end of our life. It is about gifts and giving gifts. Whatever is given to us by God -- whether it is money, or special abilities, or opportunities, are given, not to grow stale but to be increased. And the way that we are to be judged on that increase is not on how much we have kept for ourselves, or how important it might make us, but how much we have given away -- how well have we served one another. And serving is defined as how well we have helped those among us that have the least: the least money, the least natural abilities, the least opportunities, and least faith.

The goods of the world and the wealth derived from our labor must be used for God's glory and human assistance. What is more it wealth is most effective in the service of God and ministry to the poor, homeless, and hungry.

Notice that in this Bible story, it is the owner’s work that the servants are to do, his money that he hands over to them; and it is obvious that he expects them to do something with those funds.

God has given each one of us talents. Sometimes out of laziness or lack of ambition, or sometimes because we are afraid of failure or ridicule, we do not share our talents. The gospel today challenges us to take a risk and invest our gifts for the greater good of God's people. We do this ourselves as adults, but we must also try to help our children recognize their talents and use them in a productive way.

On most college applications there is a section in which you are asked to describe your hobbies and talents -- those things that you are good at but that aren’t part of your regular school courses. This is a place where you tell what clubs and sports you belong to, what instruments you play, or what volunteer and service organization you work with. Colleges are looking for students who are talented and unique. The good news is that your abilities and talents are always good enough for God. God gave us our unique abilities in order to serve others. He made us everything we are and everything we are not. God doesn’t care if you stand out and win first place. To God the thing that matters is that you use your talents in service of others. We are all made differently so we all need each other. Today we are invited to use our God-given gifts. If we don’t we will lose them.